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How to Choose the Right EDC Setup: Why Mission Drives Gear

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:04:03 GMT

Mission Drives Gear: Choosing the Right EDC Setup

Often, customers come into TheQuartermaster looking for a specific item. But before we pull anything off the shelf, the first question we always ask is: What is your intended purpose?

In the world of everyday carry (EDC), there is a simple, unbreakable rule we follow: Mission drives gear. If your mission is daily concealed carry, the gear you choose must perfectly suit your environment, your daily activities, and your local legal requirements. For example, if you carry a firearm for EDC, you don’t just need the firearm itself.

A complete, responsible setup requires:

A purpose-built holster
A rigid, high-quality carry belt
A reliable magazine pouch
The correct clothing setup for proper concealment

Let's break down the core components of a successful EDC loadout.

IWB vs. OWB Holsters : Which is Right for You?

One of the biggest decisions you will make is how to carry your firearm. Understanding the difference between Inside the Waistband (IWB) and Outside the Waistband (OWB) is critical for your mission.

Outside the Waistband (OWB)

Placement: Sits on the outside of the belt or pants.
Positioning: 3 o’clock (Right-handed) / 9 o’clock (Left-handed).
Accessibility: Faster, unobstructed access to the firearm.
Best Used For: Range use, sport shooting, tactical training, or permissive work environments.
Concealability: Requires a jacket or loose overshirt to hide.

Inside the Waistband (IWB)

Placement: Sits inside the pants, utilizing belt tension.
Positioning: Appendix (front), 3–4 o’clock, or the small of the back.
Accessibility: Slower draw, but significantly more discreet.
Best Used For: Everyday concealed carry in civilian environments.
Concealability: Excellent concealment with standard everyday clothing.

The Reality for Serious EDC Users: Most dedicated shooters find that they ultimately need both. You will want an OWB setup for the range, sport shooting, and training, alongside a reliable IWB holster for your daily concealed carry.

The Carry Belt: The Foundation of Your Setup

One of the biggest mistakes new EDC practitioners make is trying to carry a firearm using a normal, soft fashion belt.

Your belt is the absolute foundation of your everyday carry. A proper carry belt must be rigid, strong, and highly adjustable to comfortably support the weight of a loaded firearm.

Why a purpose-built carry belt matters:

Keeps the holster stable and upright.
Prevents the gun from bouncing or shifting when walking or running.
Ensures the trigger guard remains safely covered at all times.
Provides a stiff platform, making your draw safer, faster, and more consistent.

At The Quartermaster, we stock premium rigid belts designed specifically for carry, including top brands like Rescomp and Daniels Holsters .

Customers frequently walk into our store wearing a soft fashion belt, try on a proper rigid carry belt with their gear, and immediately say, "Wow, this changes everything." Because it really does.

The Final Rule

Remember: Mission drives gear.

Always choose your setup based on your actual environment and daily needs, not for looks or trends. Build a solid foundation: get the right belt, choose the right holster for your carry style, and most importantly, train consistently with both.

Night Vision vs. Thermal Imaging: What’s the Difference?

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 04:37:54 GMT

Night Vision vs. Thermal Imaging: What’s the Difference?

We get a lot of questions at TheQuarterMaster about the difference between night vision and thermal imaging, and understanding this distinction is crucial for your loadout.

While both technologies are explicitly designed to help you see in low-light or zero-light conditions, they rely on very different technologies and serve entirely different operational purposes. Here is everything you need to know to choose the right optic for your needs.

Thermal Imaging: The Ultimate Detection Tool

Thermal devices do not rely on light; instead, they detect heat signatures .

When looking through a thermal scope, you might easily spot a heat source in the pitch-black distance. However, what you see is often a glowing shape or "blob" rather than a detailed image. Thermal technology tells you that something is there, but it won't always tell you exactly what it is.

That glowing heat source could be:

A person
An animal
A recently used vehicle or warm engine block
Another warm object retaining heat in the environment

The Bottom Line: Because it cuts through darkness, fog, and light foliage to highlight heat, thermal is best used for detection.

Night Vision: Your Go-To for Target Identification

Night vision works on a completely different scientific principle. It gathers ambient light from natural sources—such as the moon and stars—and amplifies it to brighten your field of view and reveal visible detail.

Because night vision processes actual light rather than heat, it allows you to clearly make out the shape, form, and specific features of the object you are viewing.

The Bottom Line: Because it provides environmental detail and visual clarity, night vision is best used for identification.

The Golden Rule to Remember:

Thermal helps you detect.
Night vision helps you identify.

What Factors Affect the Cost of These Optics?

Whether you are looking at thermal or night vision, pricing scales with capability. As a general rule, you can expect to pay more for:

Higher Magnification: Seeing further distances clearly requires better glass and technology.
Advanced Technology: Newer generation tubes or higher-resolution thermal sensors drive up the price.

Higher-end units consistently offer superior image quality, ruggedness, extra features, and reliable performance in the field.

ATN Night Vision Options at The Quartermaster

If you are ready to upgrade your rifle setup, we stock high-quality ATN night vision scopes at The Quartermaster. Currently, we offer these scopes in two versatile configurations:

Key Features of our ATN Scopes:

Universal Mounting: They easily mount onto any standard Picatinny rail, making them highly adaptable for a wide range of rifle platforms.
Hybrid Lighting: While they operate beautifully using ambient light, they also include a built-in infrared (IR) illuminator . This allows you to project your own invisible light source, guaranteeing improved visibility in ultra-dark conditions where natural moonlight or starlight is limited.

The Ultimate Guide to Pepper Sprays: Usage, Laws & Maintenance | TheQuarterMaster

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:33:09 GMT

The Ultimate Guide to Pepper Sprays:
Usage, Laws & Maintenance | TheQuarterMaster

The Ultimate Guide to Pepper Sprays:
Your Essential Self-Defence Tool

When it comes to personal safety, pepper sprays are among the most effective non-lethal self-defence tools available. Designed to help you create critical space and escape dangerous situations, having a canister on hand can provide peace of mind.

Preparation and awareness are your first line of defence, and a reliable pepper spray is there to help you get home safely. Here is everything you need to know about choosing, using, and maintaining this essential tool.

Types of Pepper Sprays: Stream vs. Fog

Pepper sprays generally come in two distinct spray patterns, both boasting an effective range of around three to four meters:

Direct Stream Pepper Spray: This pattern is highly focused and targeted. It is ideal for pinpoint accuracy and reduces the risk of blowback in windy conditions.
Fog Pepper Spray: This disperses in a wider cone pattern, similar to a standard aerosol deodorant. It is excellent for creating a broad barrier between you and an attacker.

How Does it Work?

The active ingredient in top-quality pepper sprays is Oleoresin Capsicum (OC). Upon contact, the high concentration of capsaicin immediately affects the eyes and respiratory system , causing the eyes to close instinctively, inducing a coughing fit, and creating a crucial window of opportunity for you to disengage, create distance, and move to safety.

Is it Legal? When to Use Pepper Spray

It is extremely important to understand exactly when pepper sprays may legally be used in South Africa.

Pepper spray should only be deployed in situations where:

The threat is unlawful.
The threat is immediate.
You genuinely believe your life or physical wellbeing is in danger.

Self-defence is about protection, not retaliation. Using it irresponsibly can lead to legal complications, so always ensure your deployment is justified.

How to Hold and Deploy Pepper Spray Correctly

Owning a self-defence tool is only half the battle; knowing how to handle it under stress is vital. There are two primary ways to hold your canister:

The Full Grip Hold: Similar to holding a soft drink or beer can. While this gives a strong, secure grip, be cautious: your finger may rest too close to the spray path of the nozzle.
The Index Finger Method: Hold the canister firmly between your fingers and use your index finger to activate the trigger. This allows for better control and keeps your hand clear of the chemical spray.

Pro-Tip: Always be mindful of your surroundings. Wind direction matters significantly when deploying aerosol-based self-defence tools. More importantly, always have an exit plan. Pepper spray is not a magical solution, it is simply a tool to create time and distance so you can escape.

Maintenance: Do Pepper Sprays Expire?

A common question we get is about expiration dates.

The expiry date printed on your canister actually refers to the propellant, not the active pepper ingredient. Over time—and depending on how you store the canister, this propellant can slowly leak out.

How to test your spray:

Give it a light test spray in a safe, outdoor environment, away from people and pets.
Shake it up: If your pepper spray has been sitting on a shelf or desk for a long time, the heavy capsicum sinks to the bottom. Give it a vigorous shake periodically to ensure it operates at 100% capacity when you need it most.

Why Choose SWAT Pepper Spray?

Here at TheQuarterMaster , we proudly stock and sell the SWAT brand of Pepper Spray.

Proven Track Record: SWAT has a fantastic reputation, backed by video evidence of its effectiveness in real-world scenarios.
Locally Manufactured: Made right here in South Africa, it has been trusted by local security companies and thousands of our customers for many years.

Your goal is simple: use it responsibly, disengage, and move to safety.

#44 Show Restraint

Fri, 17 May 2024 08:53:49 GMT

On a list of skills for your average South African might need to learn, restraining a criminal might be on it.

Physically restraining an individual is both physically and legally risky.

Physically: Because it means you are in extremely close proximity to someone who wishes you no good will.

Legally: Because if your restrain/arrest someone for the wrong reason or they are injured whilst they are restrained can lead to legal bills.

But the sad fact is that the ordinary South African civvie might have to perform a citizen’s arrest and detain someone until the police arrive; eventually.

TheQuarterMaster can assist by supplying the correct Handcuffs or Cuff Ties.

Usually if you hand over a hand cuffed suspect to the SAPS you can expect your hand cuffs to go with the suspect to the holding cell and most likely you are not going to get it back.

TheQuarterMaster has a Handcuffs ranging in Quality and Price:

The Republic Arms Hand Cuffs are top of the range and have a reputation internationally for being robust and well made. Look after them and they will serve you for a lifetime.

The Midrange Hand Cuffs work well to do the job at hand and if you lose them they will not break the bank either.

The Flexi-Cuffs are ideal for when mass arrests are made and you have to quickly and safely restrain groups of individuals E.g. Gangs, syndicate members etc. No key is required and they are incredibly strong. They must be removed with the use of side cutters. Using a knife is going to result in injury. (Refer also to legal troubles above)

At TheQuarterMaster Skills and knowledge are as important as having the right gear.

To do things right TheQuarterMaster can help you with the gear and advice

Regards

Camo and TheQuarterMaster Crew

#43 Noise Blast

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 07:29:51 GMT

Among the devices that TheQuarterMaster sells are those that make a noise. A very loud noise.

And if you couple it with it being an unexpected loud noise then you have both and alarm and a deterrent to alert you to intruders and to scare them off.

The BangAlert is a tripwire device that uses, well, a trip wire and a .27 Calibre Hilti Cap to make a loud noise (Similar to a Gunshot) and if it is in a confined space, passage or room believe me it is even louder!

Use it to secure either perimeters or outbuildings and campsites.

It is rugged, weather proof and requires no batteries and will not harm pets or children if set off accidentally.

Obviously the closer you are the greater the fright.

Even if you do not hear the “Bang” if you patrol the area you installed the Bang Alert you will notice if it has been set off.

Set the trip wire just below knee height and you should be good to go.

If you are sneaky you will alter the angle and length of the trip wire each time it is set off and keep the bad guys guessing.

We also have hand held Compressed Air Noise Blaster in a range of sizes. It give a deafening sound to raise an alarm, scare off/frighten bad guys as well as Elephants and other critters.

Seriously: One customer order a quite a few of the larger Air Horns that are used on a Game Reserve to scare off Elephants and it seems to work? As the saying goes: YMMV (Your Miles May Vary) so please be prudent.

If you have unwelcome guests at night and you are secure it will be extremely effective giving off a loud piecing blast.

If you use a series of short blasts it can signal a fire, intruders or a specific emergency event which if everyone is trained to react to can speed up the response and hopefully reduce the severity.

With a smaller unit it can scare off a mugger or signal when you are lost.

It does not require batteries and is simply to use with minimal training.

This is what TheQuarterMaster does: Help you prepare for those events that can be life changing and hopefully reduce its severity. (A blast of noise might just do it)

All the best

Camo and TheQuarterMaster Crew

#42 The Nut and the Pea and some butter

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 07:54:15 GMT

Who ever thought of taking a Pea and mixing it with a nut and butter was genius.

Seriously though Peanut butter is a real treat especially with Apricot Jam or even Mixed Berry.

However in situation that are less than ideal, such as a crisis, of heightened physical and mental stress Peanut Butter is a life saver.

Our Eezy Squeezy Peanut Butter is Packaged in a 30 gram pouch it is going to provide you with a mouthful of Peanut Buttery goodness as well as the energy boost that comes from consuming a protein.

The Eezy Squeezy Peanut Butter Sachet has proven to be popular with some of our customers who are either hikers or athletes that need a quick boost whilst on the go.

Or it can make for a nice tasty snack when you take a break whilst on an anti-poaching patrol or long Saturday Cycle in the country side.

The sachet is easily compactible to be disposed of when you are back in civilisation. It will easily burn in a fire to.

So keep a few Eezy Squeezy Peanut Butter Sachets in your hiking or EDC gear. It will make nice time nicer and crisis times a bit more manageable.

Checkout our webstore: We also have Olive oil , Honey , Mixed Fruit and Apricot Jam Sachets

Calmly: Be prepared

Camo and TheQuarterMaster Crew

#41 Cooking on the Move

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 09:45:09 GMT

Fire and especially a braai fire is a South African tradition.

However there are time when out about in your favourite part of the South African outdoors that it is either not prudent nor possible or even illegal brew up a coffee or heat a meal on an open flame never mind a braai.

The possibility of starting a veldt fires, alerting poachers (if on an anti-poaching patrol) or being stuck in a tent whilst it is raining and windy outside all get a vote as to exactly how you will make that “brew”.

TheQuarterMaster has a range of stoves that can, literally, fit the pocket or at least a large pocket.

One of the popular old favourites is the Coughlan’s Emergency Stove It is a copy of the venerable Esbit stove (No longer imported into ZAR). It will fit into a breast pocket and has space to contain Solid Fuel Tablets.

It is relatively odourless and smokeless which is critical if you are indoors or simply trying to remain low key.

You know those gas stoves that have a relatively high center of gravity: The usually indicate that the water has boiled by tipping over  who has not experienced that! That’s why the a low center of gravity is important

Thus Coughlan’s folding stove is completely quiet, odourless, packs really flat. When set up is low and can take a small to large size kettle or pot. This is my favourite and I have used it many a time to make a brew and heat a meal. It uses a Wood Alcohol as fuel which is not messy or stinky.

The MSR Dragon Fly Multi Fuel can use petrol, benzene, diesel or paraffin. Ideal for those trekking across strange continents not knowing what fuel will be avaliable.

At full blast it really makes a noise, but brings water to a boil quick. The flame is easily regulated and can be set to simmer when needed.

TheQuarterMaster has a range of Stoves, solid fuel, gas and liquid fuel that can turn a miserable time out doors into a pleasant time. It will save you time foraging for wood or fuel too.

If you need advice give us a Call or a WhatsApp and we will assist you.

All the best Camo and TheQuarterMaster Crew.

#40 There was a time called BC

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 14:15:33 GMT

There was a time called BC.

Before Coffee.

It must have been a crazy world, getting up in the morning and maybe having a drink of hot water or milk or maybe some concoction of roasted grains.

Thank fully those dark day are behind us.

Here at TheQuarterMaster we take our coffee so seriously that we sell it GREEN.

Yes, unroasted green coffee beans.

We have Columbian , Guatemalan and Ethiopian green coffee beans in 500gr thru 5kg packs.

Why you may ask? Green coffee beans if stored properly will last indefinitely and you can choose when and how dark/mild you want to roast them.

How do you roast coffee at home? Easy, in a thick based potjie or pan. I prefer to use an electric popcorn maker.

Two or three minutes in the popcorn maker and you can gauge the level of roast for yourself.

If you are going to try this at home: Do it OUTSIDE as the smoke and the thin skin that peels off can create a real mess.

Roast them till you here a crackle begin. This is called first crack. When a 2 ^nd bout of cracking starts then you are more or less ready.

It’s not rocket science, but you get the satisfaction of roasting your own beans to your peculiar taste and the aroma is just wonderful.

Last bit of advice: Allow the beans to cool off and only use a day or two later.

So, get your green coffee beans from TheQuarterMaster and either put them away for long term storage or roast to you own spec.

Regards Camo & TheQuarterMaster Crew

#39 The Chicken, the Pasta and the Vegetables.

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 08:54:33 GMT

You know those cooking shows where they show you the freshly obtained ingredient’s, neatly arranged on a clean counter all ready to be prepared, diced and cooked up.

That is not how it works at TheQuarterMaster.

Ideally you will be in a remote and beautiful location sitting next to a camp stove with your Billy can or Dixie at a rolling boil.

There is no chicken, pasta or vegetables in sight. Because TheQuarterMaster has crammed them all into a retort pouch.

No fuss, no chasing chickens around or having to dig up vegetables.

All you have to do is place the pouch in your boiling Dixie.

Simple, tasty and easy to warm up.

Keep camping, hiking or patrolling simple.

TheQuarterMaster has a range of Single Meals which can be paired with rice , samp or lentils.

Regards

Camo and TheQuarterMaster Crew

Yummy Tummy

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 06:17:04 GMT

Possibly: You’re on a long hunt. Perhaps on a longer bush patrol (Vehicle or Foot).

You might be in an observation post which you cannot leave.

Or you might have security guards on post at a client.

You could be bugging out!

In all cases you will be away from catered food and water. In situations like this getting food and water to those in the field is complicated.

Checkers 60/60 or Mr Delivery are of no use save a 4x4 or armoured car to get the food and water to where it needs to be.

Additionally you want the food and drink arrive in a condition where it is safe to eat and drink.

(I recall soldiers in WW1 battle of Ypres (I think) during been delivered hot tea in containers that had been used for petrol. In the hell of trench war this must have been a soul destroying)

So how do you get hot hygienic and tasty food to those out in the field or on operation?

That exactly what TheQuarterMaster is here for: Getting you the right gear and supplies to the right place at the right time.

That way you can ensure you complete your mission (Work or Fun).

Our Single Meals are tasty and hygienic meals stored in a pouch. They can be heated in the pouch either against your body or boil in the bag.

If open flames are unwise or not permitted then a Flameless Ration Heater (FRH) is ideal. It is a packet with a water activated heating pad.

Insert your Single Meal Food Pouch into the FRH add about 30ml of water and within 10 minutes you will have a piping hot meal. Use your SPOON to keep the meal hygienic and feed yourself.

My favourite is the Savoury Mince and if you add in a starch such as SAMP , Savoury RICE or even PAP you have a really good meal.

For those with a sweet tooth TheQuarterMaster has sachets of APRICOT and MIXED FRUIT JAM as well as PEANUT BUTTER and HONEY . All of these sachets will quickly give you an energy boost can be applied to bread or biscuit to make a sandwich.

To round off you meal TheQuarterMaster has “ Bush Biscuits ” Styled on the traditional army Dog Biscuit.

HOWEVER our Bush Biscuit is easy to eat/fragment into piece yet not a fragile that it will crumble into powder whilst being carried.

It has a pleasant Mild Malty Taste and can be eaten as is, topped off with Jam and Peanut-butter or anything savoury.

Bon appetite!

Regards Camo & TheQuarterMaster Crew.

# 37 Cold Clammy Shock

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 06:00:58 GMT

Shock caused by blood loss from a traumatic wound is a cold and clammy feeling mixed in with a shivering cold and the sensation of falling asleep and nausea.

Unless immediate action is taken a funeral plan might be needed.

Whilst most commercial first aid kits are set up to deal with ‘Lite’ type wounds, the limited amount and small size bandages will have trouble with arterial or large capillary bleeds.

I highly recommend that you attend a course Stop-The-Bleed. It will teach you how to deal with massive bleeding wounds with limited resources.

For many years Tourniquets have been frowned on as specialist equipment that only specialists should use.

The reality of specialists is that they are seldom around when you need them and more than likely you are going to have to wait for them to get to you or you are going to have to get to them: ASAP!

AXIOSTAT is a sponge that has a blood clotting agent soaked into it. Depending on the size of the wound it can be literally shoved into the hole or gash to quickly stop bleeding.

Honestly if you are on blood thinning meds, you need to have Axiostat close by.

Let’s assume that you have stopped traumatic bleeding, either with the correct use of Axiostat, a Tourniquet or your T-shirt stuffed into the holes and pressure applied. Yes, it will be messy (and I really hope you will be wearing protective Nitrile Gloves ) but it can work.

Next you will have to deal with the consequences of the blood loss namely Shock and its symptoms.

This can range from feeling cold and starting to shiver and drowsiness. A simple Rescue Blanket can easily keep the victim warm.

Failure to do so will see complications from the shock set in a few days later as the grim reaper returns to claim what should have been his a few days prior.

There are tragic stories of lives that could have been saved bit for skill and/or a simple piece of gear.

Please folks consider carrying TheQuarterMaster IFAK . It will have most of what you need to deal wounds and injuries that result in blood loss.

Stopping the bleeding should be your priority. One can get oxygen into the victim after a few minutes, blood not so much.

TheQuarterMaster IFAK bag should be part of your range gear and be in your vehicle.

Gear plus skill might prevent tragedy for you or your family.

Stay Safe

Regards

Camo and TheQuarterMaster Crew.

#36 Palms Greased

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 11:58:52 GMT

Sadly in South Africa, the euphemism for bribery, Greasing Palms is becoming an uncomfortable feature to get things done or move the wheels of officialdom.

Usually a Coke or KFC are entry level “Grease”. It’s not pleasant nor right.

If difficult or lazy people require “Grease” to work, what about our machines, tools and equipment?

TheQuarterMaster stocks a wide range of lubricants and cleaning fluids for general & specific applications.

The Anti-Scuff Paste (Molybdenum Di-sulphide) it is a paste that you burnish into the moving parts of firearms.

At a microscopic level the Moly adheres to the surface smoothing out for a long time essentially being a dry lubricant. Additionally it has such a high melting point that it is used as a lubricant in Jet Engines.

With the extremely high melting point and abrasion resistance it is perfect for firearms that will see heavy use.

Our Honing oil applied to a wet stone will speed up your sharpening of knives. The honing oil lifts out the fine metal dust from the stone making each stroke on the stone more efficient.

The Copper Anti-Seize Grease has micro fine copper powder in a lithium grease.

It too can handle high temperatures used on moving parts of Reloading Press’s or Firearms will reduce friction and extend operational life.

Herschel Multi-Purpose Spray 150ml is my favourite Lubricant and Cleaner in a can. The smaller can size is ideal to fit into your range bag or tool box. It is also non-carcinogenic.

Compared to some local equivalents it is the “Q”ueen of Cleaning and Lubricating sprays. It will not damage rubber of plastic parts.

Yes it is also avaliable in a Larger 300ml Can for the workshop Silicone Spray is fantastic to displace water off electronic parts, spray onto zips of bags and gear. Inert, non-toxic and Odourless it will waterproof fabrics too.

Gear is expensive and needs to be maintained to extend service life and ensure proper function.

Checkout TheQuarterMaster range of Lubes and Grease: They are guaranteed to work better than a lazy civil servant.

All the best.

Camo and TheQuarterMaster crew.

#35 Fingers, Nails 'n Teeth

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 13:33:26 GMT

Compared to the rest of the animals that roam, swim or fly about this planet we Humans really do not have much of a tool box.

Claws, talons, teeth, tusks and horns are not on the list of items that we are born with.

Yes, our brain is our Superpower that enables us to survive and thrive in all types of environments and out into space.

Yet we may have the software; we do not have the “Hardware” aside from our nails, fingers and teeth.

TheQuarterMaster has a fantastic range of tools that are portable and pocket size.

Our Multitool is a great price and comes with a 10 year warranty with 13 tools will be able to grip, cut, pry, and file. Compared to your finger nails and teeth this is a real winner.

A simple Okapi or Honey Badger knife can defend you if attacked by a Cake or Piece of Biltong.

Seriously though, I cannot get through my day without my Honey Badger, using it to cut tape, boxes or in the kitchen.

From a self Defence point of view a Claw knife is a fantastic weapon of last resort especially if you are of the fairer sex. A blade can devastate an attacker from close up.

I wish more women with the appropriate mindset and basic training carried a blade. By the end of the week there will be less rapists and abusers in society.

No matter how fantastic our Brain, Fingers and Nails are, you cannot start a fire with them.

With a bit of practice you should be able to start a fire many time over with a Ferro Rod . It is virtually abuse proof and water proof.

If you have an inclination to the historical, why not try your hand starting your fire with a ”TontelDoos” or Tinder Box. It takes a bit of practice but is surprisingly easy once you get the technique right.

Think about it, the world was explored and settled with the help of canvas, wood, iron, brass and a lot of blood sweat and tears.

There was not an iPhone, keyboard or Screen in existence!

Simple tools carried in your pocket will make your day much easier. Try it You will be surprised how much you come to rely on them.

Stay safe: Be prepared

Regards

Camo and TheQuarterMaster Crew

#34 The Great Trek Bug Out

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 08:02:31 GMT

#34 The Great Trek Bug Out

Say what you want: Our countries history started with a Bug Out.

Woke politicians and historians will disagree about the motives about the Great Trek. However viewed from a practical point of view, whatever the motive for the Trek, it can properly be called a bug out.

Individuals in groups for reasons peculiar to them left their hearth and home for an unknown destination.

It must have taken guts and I suppose measure of desperation to pack up all one’s possessions onto a vehicle (a wagon) and then join a group of neighbours, family and strangers then head off literally into the unmapped wild unknown. (Personally I cannot think of anything more exciting)

Yet that is what they did and if you are living in South Africa in 2024 you and I owe them a debt of gratitude for their grit and sacrifice.

Yet, I often meet modern day South Africans that talk about “Bugging Out”.

Simply put: To abandon your hearth and home, for whatever reason, means that whilst you have sufficient supplies you are a well-supplied refugee.

When run out of supplies, you are simply a refugee.

In 2024 I would define Bugging Out: Abandoning your hearth and home because circumstances force you to do so. Harsh Weather Events, Riots, Artillery falling around you, no water etc.

Whatever your Bug Out plan is you will need Vehicles, Skills, Supplies and a Safe Destination. As importantly, you will need to rehearse your plan.

Personally would hate it if you ever had to Bug Out leaving your hard earned possessions behind.

It will be traumatic for the family and will need to be dealt with once the dust settles. But this is South Africa 2024 and we need to be realistic.

TheQuarterMaster can assist you with your Bug Out plan: Either with Advice or Gear.

You will need self defence tools to keep you safe whilst in transit, we sell Self Defence Bang Sticks , both lethal and NON-Lethal .

To provide temporary security at your Bug out Location or at a campsite en-route, I highly recommend the BANG-ALERT trip wire device.

You certainly are going to need food that can be easily prepared and consumed: Our Single Meals and Biscuits are ideal. Tasty and tummy filling they will keep moral up.

They require zero preparation and in a true emergency can be eaten straight out of the pouch, cold. Heated would obviously be better.

Use a FlameLess Ration Heater to warm the food even whilst driving. No Flames, No Fumes.

It is highly likely in a true bug out event you will have to deviate from tarred roads due to road blocks by mobs or simply traffic congestion.

The Grip n Go is a compact track that will enable you to get out of soft sand or mud.

Our reels of 100m Braided Rope can be used as lifeline if needing to wade through torrents of water on foot or towing of other vehicles

The EARMOR HeadSet with Microphone will enable the driver and navigator to communicate via radio with other vehicles if driving in convoy and reducing dangerous ambient noise levels.

Whilst I do not advocate that one bug out on a whim, it is an important part of one’s survival plan in South Africa.

It truly is a last resort and means all else has failed.

However it will give you the chance to live and breathe with your family when the sun comes up the next day.

And that’s why we should plan for it: To protect our families.

Give us a shout if you want to chat about your plan or need advice on gear.

All the best.

Camo and TheQuarterMaster Crew.

#33 Wet Wet Wet

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 06:28:23 GMT

It was a dark stormy night. I was wet wet wet.

What had started with a beautiful Gauteng warm summer sunset had turned into a torrential downpour.

Being the lazy sod I am, I had decided not to set up my small tent but too sleep under the stars wrapped in my poncho.

Now I was wet through. The poncho did keep me warm though.

However if I rolled over I became cold and wet. If I lay still I remained warmish and wet.

It was a really instructive evening. Sleep in the normal sense was impossible. But if you lay still and closed your eyes you managed some rest. Thank goodness it was not cold though.

That’s the weird thing about rain and all things watery: Without it we cannot last more than 3 days.

I doubt I could go beyond 24hours without 2 liters of water.

Yet too much of it can drown us or make us very sick and uncomfortable. Even now there are reports of a Cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal.

So be prepared for too much water or none at all.

A simple Poncho can mean the difference between being uncomfortable or getting deadly sick.

A single Aqua Tab into a JOJO tank can purify 5000 liters of water or a single sachet of P&G Purifier can make 10 Liters safe.

A bit of preparation can meant the difference between being uncomfortable or getting really sick.

All the best for 2024!

Regards

Camo and TheQuarterMaster Crew

#32 TwoOh24 Here we go!

craig@thequartermaster.co.za (Craig Quartermaster) — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 11:32:27 GMT

So, how is the diet or work out going?

Jip it’s somehow that time of the year where gym contracts are signed and ja, well, diets die a Wimpy-ering Mac-death.

We need to get real: Our priorities should be on our real lives, working hard raising and protecting our family’s doing our best for our neighbours too.

This requires a bit of real world planning: Have you assessed how long you can maintain your standard of living without Municipal water or electricity ? How long would the food in your cupboards and fridges last you?

These are not meant to be scary questions: This is South Africa 2024, we are beyond scary, and by now it (I hope) it should be common sense.

Have you assessed you’re your supplies and utilities?

I get the sense that since we had that scary-fakedemic and July 2021 KZN riots South African’s have become a bit more prepared. Most of us can handle short term black outs by now.

However I would encourage all our QM supporters to be a bit more systematic in their approach to 2024.

Develop a training schedule for yourself in terms of fitness and personal skills training.

Budget time and ammo for some firearm training preferably once a month.

What about learning a new skill: A Stop the Bleed course is highly recommended. Do you know how to use a two way radio properly?

How about assessing your current security set up at home. Maybe an extra lock on a particular door?

The whole point is that you plan to improve your situation and the emphasis is on PLAN.

No doubt things are tough financially for many of us, however if you fail to plan then well you will succeed in failing.

Generally this requires both time and money. If you do not have the materials or skills it’s going to cost money. If you have the skills and materials it’s going to cost you time.

Broadly speaking you can break down your plan into:

· Personal: Get new skills AND refresher training for existing skills.

· Maintenance: Maintaining and servicing existing structures and equipment to before it breaks.

· Repairs: Repairing and replacing broken structures and equipment.

· Projects: Obtaining, building, constructing new structures or equipment to increase your level of preparedness.

TheQuarterMaster is here to help you get the Gear and will always get you the best advice for your situation.

All the best.

Camo and TheQuarterMaster crew

#31 Christmas 20TwoThree

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 14:39:33 GMT

For those who celebrate Christmas for what it is, it is a genuinely joyous occasion. For everyone it is time for well-deserved break with our families.

Either way it is meant to be a time of goodwill amongst all mankind and would be wonderful if the goodwill could continue beyond the Christmas time!

For those who are shopping for Christmas gifts we have compiled a short list of Good Gear for the Good guys and girls of South Africa.

Corona Mill : This hand mill requires no electricity and will enable you to mill dry produce such as maize or wheat to make mealie pap or flour or cracking malted grain for brewing. It will make for an interesting hobby or if all else fails you will be able to mill your own produce.

Eye protection: You only get two eyes and sadly they are hard to replace if they get injured or destroyed. Consider a stylish pair of Sun Glasses that offer decent eye protection too.

As Braa’ing is a feature of the South African Christmas having an N3 Lighter on hand that also functions as a torch. Small practical and easy to carry.

As we all carry Smart Phone, protecting them whilst hiking or doing work is critical: TheQuarterMaster has a Flat Utility Pouch that can be attached to Bullet Proof Vest M.o.l.l.e or your belt. It will pad your Smart Phone and protect against dust and moisture.

A serious consideration should be given to Immediate First Aid in case of a traumatic accident or attack that leave on bleeding seriously.

TheQuarterMaster Immediate First Aid Kit or I.F.A.K is an excellent kit to keep on hand. It has been reported to me that at least 5 lives have been saved with it.

Whilst the Christmas Season may be marked by rampant consumerism, I think the above suggestions are good value for money and will make your life easier should you choose to purchase.

Wish you all a Blessed Christmas 20TwoThree and see you all in 20TwoFour

God Bless you.

Camo & TheQuarterMaster crew.

#30 Hard Ware

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 12:34:01 GMT

Fact: The cool tacti-cool gears and bang-sticks are way more fun and exciting to use. No Questions asked.

However there is a lot more to surviving and thriving in South Africa than cool tactical gear.

The humble sand bag can be used to create a firing position or divert flood water.

Got muddy boots and you do not want to muddy up your car or sleeping bag? Well a couple of SAND BAGS in your gear will save the day.

Need to chop down a tree or split firewood? Well there are different axes for each and you are going to have a much easier time using a SPLITTING AXE than any other style of axe.

You need to secure fencing, well ring pliers will enable you to crimp two or three strands of wire without much effort. The Ring pliers also known as “Hog Ring” pliers can be used to stitch up game or stock that has been eviscerated to prevent dust and flies spoiling the meat during transport.

Need a shovel to dig a toilet in the bundu with a decent strong saw then our Folding/Entrenching tool is going to save you time and space.

If you need to do running repairs on clothing or create a chest wound seal then Duct Tape also know as 1000mph tape will work fine.

Need long lengths of rope to cross rivers or help on steep slopes then our 100mX10mm Camo Braid is just for you.

I am a great fan of portable pocketable Multitool it really can sort our most issues around the plot, home, office or shooting range.

Stuck in the mud, well our Grip n Go panels will get you our lickity split! Use them on muddy ground, soft sand or slippery grass and you won’t be disappointed.

The right piece of gear and the knowledge of how to use it can save you a ton of mud sweat and tears if you have it with you.

TheQuarterMaster is here to help you do just that

Regards

Camo

#29 Re-Load

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 09:10:49 GMT

We often see it here in the shop: Every time the rand weakens or there is a petrol price increase, sales take a knock.

Obviously Bread and Fuel are as priorities for most South Africans.

This has a definite impact on one’s ability to train with firearms or simply participate in your favourite shooting sport.

No question about it: Ammo is expensive.

However TheQuarterMaster has a solution: Re-Loading .

Viewed from a cost saving and quality point of view, re-loading works for you!

You save money and if done correctly you can load your ammo to your own particular specifications.

Here at TheQuarterMaster we sell Brass for reloading as well as Cast Lead Bullets for most calibers of Modern Semi-Auto hand guns.

(NOTE: We do not use scrap lead for casting, we use a lead that has the correct amount of tin and antimony in order to ensure that they are HARD)

To be honest for the most part it is easiest to reload for 9mm Para and 5.56x45/.223 as there is an abundance of brass and bullet types available.

We also stock a range of LEE reloading presses, dies and accessories AND we are able to source Dillon reloading equipment on request.

Briefly: A progressive press has a few stations, at which a different process takes place each time the handle is raised and lowered. One can load between 300-600 round of 9mm depending on the brand and one’s technique.

A single stage press is the cheapest, but the slowest. It is a great way to learn about how to set up the dies etc.

This will help you when you move to a progressive press.

Single stage presses are ideal for reloading rifle cartridges when accuracy for sport, hunting or work is non-negotiable.

One can easily save between 50-60% on a reload and more if you recover your brass.

Not only is re-loading a cost saving hobby it is thoroughly interesting too. I have been reloading for years and it is extremely satisfying to be able to “roll your own” ammo. It gives me a real sense of accomplishment to produce my own ammo AND take advantage of the cost savings.

And so it can for you too!

If you are interested in getting into re-loading or have a query or would like to work out a lay-by for a Reloading Press then drop us an email to sales@thequartermaster.co.za or WhatsApp on 082-310-3708.

Regards

Camo and TheQuarterMaster Crew.

#28 Logistics Wins Wars

Thu, 23 Nov 2023 08:27:34 GMT

We have all heard the adage: Logistics wins wars.

But what does this mean for the ordinary South African citizen?

Well, simply put if you do not have the gear (Food, Ammo, Water & Comms) to stay in the fight and hold the ground after a fight you are wasting your time.

For example: A citizen gets involved in a self defence shooting. And the first thing he does after the shooting stops and the smoke clears is speed off to a local gunshop to get more ammo: True Story.

Or you are keeping a bunch of rioters/protesters at bay and then are forced to leave the scene due to a lack of Ammo, Support, Injury or simply no water to keep you hydrated.

In this case having some 150ml Sachets of Water on hand and IFAK and a Bandolier with extra 12G ammo can be the difference between a burnt out shop or your suburb.

So plan your logistics!!

Why would you want to expose a family member bringing you supplies in dangerous circumstances?

So it is with all the stuff that we carry and keep to protect ourselves and our family.

Aside from training and familiarity with the technical and legal issues, firearms have to be cleaned, maintained and serviced.

We service our cars after a certain number of kilometers. Why do we not service our firearms after a certain round-count?

It may vary from brand to brand but I think it is fair to say after 20’000 Rounds one should replace the recoil and any other springs.

Magazines too wear out and when they stop locking the slide back, then it is best to relegate them for training. (In a self defence situation it you want your slide to lock back to show that you are empty)

This is what TheQuarterMaster is here for: To supply the Good Guys and Girls of South Africa with ammo, spares, accessories and spare parts.

Everything wears out and breaks eventually, so plan for it. Keep your essential lifesaving tools in tip top mechanical condition.

Believe me: I have broken two pistols. One through lack of maintenance and let’s just say the other was abused beyond its performance envelope.

I have seen Bolt & Semi Auto rifles blow up, pistols blow up, bolts crack, extractors fail and trigger pins break.

Wear, tear, age, rust and bad ammo all get a vote as to how long your firearms will serve you.

Given the associated paper work and schlep to get a license it really does pay to do look after your firearms.

TheQuarterMaster sells a range of Cleaning Equipment and can get spares for most modern pistols and rifles.

We stock a range of GLOCK spares too.

Stay Safe!

Regards

Camo

#27 No Kill Self Defence

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 14:07:05 GMT

No doubt things are getting tougher economically and criminally. Thank goodness we have our Champion Rugby, Sheep Shearing & Honey Farmer Teams.

A lot of customers ask about less than lethal solutions/tools for self-defence.

When it comes to personal safety, preparation makes all the difference. Statistics show that having a means of self-defence can significantly increase your chances of surviving and suffer less physical and mental trauma than those who were unable to resist their attack.

Remember: For an attack to be considered illegal it must meet 3 requirements:

The attack must be illegal: (A policeman trying to arrest you is a legal attack on you)

The Threat must be imminent: It must be happening or going to happen shortly.

The response must be proportional: A possible slap from a young child on an adult might be illegal and imminent, yet the use of disproportional force or violence is both immoral and illegal.

That said: There are times where some folks for moral reasons or simple prudence choose NOT to use lethal force that could result in death or serious injury.

Ideally we would not get into a fight, but, hey, this is South Africa and trouble does come looking for us.

In that case how can one prepare?

SWAT-OPS 60ml Fog Pepper Spray: One of the most popular non-lethal self-defence tools. It can incapacitate an attacker in about 85-90% of cases, allowing you to escape from a dangerous situation.

Personal Noise Alarms: These small AIR HORNS emit a loud, deafening and attention-grabbing sound when activated, which can scare off potential attackers and alert those nearby to your distress.

STUN or SHOCKER devices deliver an electric shock to temporarily hurt an assailant, giving you time to escape. More importantly the “crackle” emitted from the device is a greatly intimidates any would be assailant.

As with all gear: You need to know the legalities and practicalities of the particular device or mode of self-defence.

All gear and no idea is a thing, and simply watching an online video does not impart skill or mind-set.

Practice, practice and practice some more…….

Pray for our beautiful Country. Stay safe.

Cheers

Camo & TheQuarterMaster Crew

#26 Shelter not Comfort

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 07:06:29 GMT

What is the difference between Sheltering to Survive and a Hotel Room.

Usually a couple of thousand Rand.

You might be surprised at how little you need to survive the outdoors. The biggest threat to your is the obviously the environment you find yourself in.

Cold, wet as well as environments teeming with insects pose the greatest immediate threat to you.

Staying warm, dry and relatively INSECT FREE sounds simple. It is not. Your clothes are your first layer of defence. But if they are wet or muddied then they are less efficient in protecting you.

A few pieces of gear sold by TheQuarterMaster can make a huge difference.

A simple Rescue or Survival Blanket can literally fit into a pants pocket. Yes, it is relatively fragile, but it is going to get you through a dark cold night. Job done!

A PONCHO (Or a Bivvy) being a lot more durable will keep off heavy rain and you warm.

Pro-Tip if you are Cold and wet and exhausted: Get out of the wind as much as practically possible; wrap yourself in your poncho. Make yourself as comfortable as possible and then hug yourself either in a sitting or standing position. If possible place your hands into your armpits.

If you stay still you will gradually warm up the air closest to your body. When you move you will lose that warmth.

Try it: Get into a cold swimming pool up to chest or neck level deep.

Place your hands under your arm pits and keep still. If still, after a minute or so the water directly around you warms. If you move even a bit you will then feel the colder water.

Same applies when wet and cold wearing a poncho OR Survival Blanket.

Keep as still as possible to remain as warm as possible for as long as possible.

Similarly a SHEMAGH protects against harsh sun and will keep the extremity that is your head warm when it is cold and windy.

To have some degree of comfort and keep off light rain our BUSHVELDT BEDROLL is an all in one mattress and with weather proof cover.

Light weight with a built in foam mattress it is probably the most luxurious sleep you can get without a bed or stretcher AND it will keep out wind and drizzle.

If you need advice or gear to make your excursion comfortable and survivable, send us a WhatsApp 082-310-3708

Regards

Camo

#25 Knot Knowledge

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 11:27:29 GMT

I mentioned in previous blogs about the “All Gear and No Idea” syndrome. Many folks believe that to own a piece of kit/device/tool implies expert level knowledge.

We all know this to be true, yet we still persist in it.

Personally for me it is really exciting to test out a piece of new gear to learn how it works. However the time bandit rarely allows us to advance even beyond beginner level unless that is we actually work with the gear.

Do not believe me, well, how are your chain saw skills?

It does not have to be like that with rope or cordage . Cable ties may to some degree have replaced the ability to tie a decent knot.

However Cable ties are made in China. Knots are made by you.

The correct use of a rope to tie-down, join, secure, lash and then reuse the same rope is dependent on your Knot Knowledge.

The great thing about Knot Knowledge is that you can practice with yours around the braai, watching TV.

A friend who used to sail on yachts on the told that whilst sailing it was a pastime to practice Knot Knowledge. On a yacht tying the correct knot in adverse conditions is a requirement. Get it wrong and, well, ja, it’s a Cruel Sea

The Knot used depends on your requirement: A Reef Knot is ideal for bundling items. The name coming from the Knot that sailors use to reef or fold away sails. It is also called a square knot and easy to learn and use.

A Bowline Knot , is referred to as the King of Knots due to the fact that it is relatively easy to untie even after been subjected to heavy loads. Ideal for towing or lifting heavy items.

A Trucker’s Hitch is an excellent way to secure loads on bakkies and truck as it provides immense leverage/down force to be able to secure a load.

A Clove Hitch Knot is useful for tying ropes to trees or posts and being able to adjust the length as needed.

Not only is Knot Knowledge restricted to tying/lashing, but the ability to weave with Paracord can create really useful items such as Slings, Bracelets and knife handles etc.

Fisherman have their preferred knots as do Rock Climbers, Riggers and so forth.

The point of this blog is way too short to be detailed “How to” of knots.

Rather it is to encourage you to learn 4 or 5 basic knots.

I am hoping you decide to practice, and, if I may advise: Practicing with a Thicker Soft rope. It is easier to knot/unknot that a piece thinner string or cord especially if you apply tension. One meter should be fine of 8 or 10mm Ø

Knowledge is power, Experience perfects.

Sitting with a length of rope practicing Knot Knowledge can be quite meditative instead staring at a cell phone screen. Try it.

Cheers and God Bless.

Camo

#24 Look-See

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 14:59:31 GMT

A short French tyrant once cleverly observed that time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted.

For any South African who takes there safety seriously, this should be a clue.

Imagine being on your Quad bike, horse or evening driving your car in an urban environment, or even taking a hike.

At some point the road or path is obstructed. You have no idea what is going on. Luckily you read a blog from TheQuarterMaster and have a pair of Binoculars with you.

You take them out, focus them. In the distance see what the problem is: It might be a fallen tree, an accident or smoke and burning tyres with the usual debris strewn across the road.

Based on the information you now have you can make your plan to Go around or Turn around.

For the most part Binoculars can be viewed as toys, being used by touristy tourists doing touristy things in one of our game park.

Life for most citizens in South Africa is a bit more serious. Those who stay in and around the large metropoles, might not realise but we start our day with a personal sitrep or situation report.

We check the weather, the traffic, and possibly the load shedding schedule.

However sometimes we are thrown a curve ball or brick. A pair of Bino’s are really useful allowing you to view LookSee events from a distance.

Such is the usefulness and importance of a pair of BINOCULAR , enabling you too view the lay of the land.

(In a war situation carrying either a radio or a pair of binoculars marked you as a high value target)

TheQuarterMaster has a range of Compact Binoculars to suit your pocket and they are of decent quality.

Binoculars are usually described by a number sequence: 8x21, 10x42 etc. The first number denotes the magnification or strength, the second the size of objective lens. (The big lens in the front)

Roughly speaking the greater the magnification the more you should be able to see, but at the same time any tremors from holding it are also magnified by the same factor.

The larger the objective lens allows more light to be gathered which will result in a richer, clearer picture. This is also helpful in low light situations.

To broadly simplify the: Higher magnification plus the size of the objective lens minus shaking equals the quality of your image.

So along with your spare wheel, vehicle first aid kit and get home bag, consider including a pair of Compact Binoculars.

Forewarned is forearmed. Do not waste time or risk property life or limb by dancing where angels fear to tread.

Keep a pair of Binoculars in case you need to LookSee

Stay Alert, Stay Safe

God Bless you all.

Camo

#23 AR vs AK

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 13:38:10 GMT

#23 AR vs AK

Like all South Africans we are victim to marketing, and it always makes for a good debate and sometimes even a real fight around the braai as to what brand is better? Toyota or Ford? Mercedes vs BMW? GLOCK vs CZ/Sig etc?

Well which is better or preferred? AK47 or AR ?

Again it depends on what you intended it for. In South Africa the law has been written in such a way that we are limited with what we can defend ourselves and euphemistically have to license it under a “Sporting” category.

Technically the AK is a robust platform that does not have fine tolerances. This allows it to cope with excessive dirt and carbon without binding up.

The legend is that it does not have to be oiled.

However an anecdotal story from the bush war: UNITA soldiers would steel dipsticks from the South African Infantry Fighting Vehicles in order to lube there rifles.

Any rifle will work better and more reliably when lubed. That includes the AK47. No doubt the AK47 has withstood the test of time and seen action literally in every climatic condition you can imagine.

Generally magazines are easy to come by, and ammo, though expensive is available.

That should be your single most important criteria when select a rifle for “Sports”: Can you get AMMO for it?

The AR is as different in terms of operation, quality and manual of arms (The way one manipulates a firearm) The AR certainly gets it right when it comes to the safety, mag and bolt release.

Like a car: irrespective of your model or brand, the pedals, steering wheel and gear lever are all roughly in the same place.

The AR design has the buttons and levers you need to get it operational and keep it so, in the right places, for easier and quicker to manipulation without excessive movement of your hands compared to an AK.

This has real consequences during a fight, sorry, I mean on the ‘Sports Competition” range

AR quality varies from Brand to Brand, generally the more expensive the better the quality build.

A really important feature of modern AR rifles is the ability to upgrade with red dot sights, weapon mounted lights, SLINGS etc. No gunsmith required. Magazines and spares are generally available.

Irrespective of which platform you choose you are going to have to get ammo for it, extra magazines and CLEANING kits and then get training on a “Sports” range.

Become familiar with your” Sports” rifle of choice!

TheQuarterMaster more than lives up to its name as we stock AR and AK “Sport” rifles, Ammo , Cleaning Kits and much more.

Enjoy making your decision ��

Give us a shout if you need assistance.

Regards

Camo

#22 Creepy Critters

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 13:07:09 GMT

#22 Creepy Critters

"Whoohoo! Summer is on the way, and every mosquito, fly, and every other creepy critter is as excited as you are.

Rest assured, TheQuarterMaster wants you to have a great braai-filled outdoor summer without having to be overly bothered by critters, whether crawling, flying, or otherwise.

We have Bug Bracelets that can be worn on the wrist and ankle, which will make life difficult for mosquitoes and hopefully get you a good night’s sleep. If you need a light to read by in your tent AND take care of that mosquito, then the Bug Lantern will allow you to read in peace in your tent.

Sometimes a simple scarf, such as a Shemagh , will not only keep you warm or protected from the sun and dust but will also work brilliantly as a head veil to keep away irritating flies and mosquitoes.

While flies and mosquitoes are irritating in the short term, if not dealt with, they can pose serious health problems. Likewise, ticks can be a source of tick bite fever, which if at first you are afraid you will die, if untreated, you might be concerned that you won’t! ��

Those who have had malaria or tick bite fever will attest: Prevention is better than cure.

The Vital Protection is an excellent product that can be sprayed directly onto your clothing that you are wearing. Better yet, treat your clothing beforehand by spraying the clothing. (Pay attention to groin, armpit, and legs) This spray is tested by SABS and will provide effective protection against ticks and mosquitoes and any disease that may come with them.

For those who are walking or working in areas where snakes might be, TheQuarterMaster has Snake Gaiters . These have a triple layer of ripstop canvas to protect the ankles and calves against a bite and the consequences thereof.

At the same time, they will protect against Khakibos, Burrs, and Thorns.

So enjoy your camping or fishing trip in the great outdoors that our beautiful country has to offer; TheQuarterMaster has some interesting and effective products to do just that.

God bless you all.

Regards,

Camo"

#21 While You Are Unaware

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 06:30:56 GMT

While You Are Unaware

South Africa is a wonderful country. It really is. Our challenges are perhaps different (or even similar) to many other countries. However the Rugby World Cup is on and the Springboks are favourites to at least reach the final! Go Bokke! (I know the link might date this mailer, but, ja)

Yet, strangely South Africa is a place where you must fight and struggle to live. We simply cannot take it for granted that either us or the stuff we have worked hard for over the event that is called our “Life” will be there at the next sunrise…..

Simply put we need to take measures to protect ourselves, those we love and our physical possessions. For most of us this would be some type of armed response.

However conditions are such that we cannot have a reliable supply of electricity or even reliable response companies.

TheQuarterMaster has a solution: We have Alarm Systems that literally can scare off, choke and irritate the criminals. Some have back up power supplies and some do not require any at all.

Our Skunk Alarm systems emit a noxious gas. This gas triggers a coughing paroxysm. Literally.

I have experienced this three times: Eventually if you inhale enough gas, it will seem as if your breathing organs have been coughed up onto our chest. At this point you are more or less incapable of doing anything except shove your lungs back into chest cavity. It’s funny, but not….

The Bang Alert is a tripwire device that requires no batteries. It is simply a tripwire device that if set cleverly (and cunningly) will emit a loud bang. The closer you are to it the louder the bang!

Simply a piece of string strung across parts of your garden, plot or out buildings will alert you to intruders and possibly scare off the bad guys: How would you react if you hear a loud bang in the dark and there was a flash too!

The loud bang is emitted by a Hilti Cap. Used correctly it cannot cause harm BUT will alert you and scare off the bad guys.

Even if you do not hear the bang (You might set it up far away from your home) then if you check the tripwire daily then you will notice if the wire (string) has been tripped.

We have had many satisfied customers over the years who have successfully used the Skunk or Bang Alert as a warning AND deterrent. (Yes I know that early versions of the Bang Alert were not reliable, but the version we sell is much improved)

As I said/typed in the first few paragraphs: South Africa is a place that you have to fight for your right to live, survive and thrive.

We do not have much going for us except our National Rugby team and also devices to secure our family and stuff.

God Bless you all.

Go Bokke!

Regards

Camo

Here is a short clip of the Skunk Pepper Spray Alarm in action!

#20 Stuff You Need: Right! Now!

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 10:20:04 GMT

#20 Stuff you Need: Right! Now!

Tragically: There is stuff that if you need it, you need it immediately. Any delay in getting in and you will need nothing ever again except maybe your funeral policy?

Think I am joking: What about the South African who has a gun pointed at his head, yet his or her firearm is beyond arms reach or worse locked in a safe. If it’s not on you it might as well be on the moon.

Or perhaps someone who is bleeding badly due to an assault or accident. Any serious bleeding must be stopped in short order. If the required Tourniquet or medical item is minutes away it will be too late.

I do not mean to be alarmist but there is some kit or gear that you simply should not leave home without. (It also goes without saying you will need the requisite skill to use the gear under duress)

If you do not have a weapon at hand when attacked all you have is your empty hand and your mindset: May you prevail with those.

It would be far better to have at least a knife which will give you a much better chance to prevail. Better than that would be a firearm.

A handgun is one of the best personal defensive weapons . It give the opportunity for distance but can be used at bad breath distances. Having the pistol in a decent holster held in place with a decent belt.

A knife can be used at close distance and in my opinion can be even more devastating than a firearm if wielded correctly.

The fact is that both items MUST be on your person, otherwise it might as well be on the…..moon.

The same more or less can be said of medical gear: If a tourniquet is what is needed to stop serious bleeding, then it is needed immediately. It’s why soldiers and police carry their Tourniquet in a quickly accessible place.

One can bleed out within a few minutes. A tourniquet can be applied in seconds.

(Note: Please note I am not trying to use an element of fear or hysteria to sell)

Perhaps you have consciously chosen not to carry any defensive tool or emergency gear, I sincerely hope you never have to regret it.

This I know: There was an event in my life that was 2-3 seconds in duration. If I did not have the items we have been discussing I would not be typing this.

Have the gear

Have the skills

Have the mindset

www.thequartermaster.co.za is ready to assist the good guys get the right gear to survive & thrive in South African

Regards

Camo

#19 Gear you should not need

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 09:09:59 GMT

#19 Gear you should not need

It’s a sad state of affairs that civilians are having to take over the jobs that National and Local Government should be doing in the first place. After all we have paid for these services with own very hard earned Randella’s.

This in turn means that civvies are having to buy not only their own power & water supply but also security gear.

And in this case I am not talking about legal firearms etc. Items such as Prisoner Restraints which include Handcuffs, Cable cuffs and even Leg irons are becoming a necessary for neighbourhood watches and rural protection organisation’s. Not only are civilians having to carry out arrests and detain the criminal until Law Enforcement arrives. Additionally it might not only be one criminal but many more. Often multiple arrests are made and there are not enough handcuffs to go around.

Additionally: If you handcuff a suspect and hand him over to Law Enforcement more than likely you will not get your cuffs back if the officer on scene does not have his cuffs with him.

Better is to keep a bunch of plastic Cable Cuffs . These double loop restraints are really tough and do not require a key as with handcuffs. Whatever you do NEVER EVER use a knife to cut some who has been restrained with Cable Cuffs (Hint: Cable Ties are not proper restraints and will cut off circulation easily) Rather use a side cutter to remove Cable Cuffs.

Anyone placed under arrest needs to be detained in such a manner that they are not a threat to the good guys and at the same time not be injured. Overly tight restraints are a sure way to look for legal problems.

True Story: A suspect was arrested at Luxury Housing Estate in my home town last week: It took over 3 hours for the SAPS to arrive and take the suspect into custody! For those in rural areas I cannot imagine the chore of arresting and detaining a suspect for more than a few hours!!

What would you do in such a situation? What if there was more than I suspect?

You would think that items such as Bump Helmets , Riot Shields , Batons and Bullet Proof Vests would not be necessary for a civilian.

However we have seen a steady sale to individuals and groups, business owners who realise that they need to increase their physical security when dealing with striking mobs or responding to a call out at their business at Zero Dark Thirty.

What about Evidence: Sometimes it is important to secure evidence properly either for commercial or criminal purposes. TheQuarterMaster sells a range of Tamper Proof Evidence Bags . If the chain of evidence is followed correctly these bags are indispensable to securing physical evidence or documents. Any attempt to tamper with them will be noticeable to the honest investigator.

Africa is not for sissies least of all South Africa 2023. The gear we need is very different from ordinary civilians in other country’s.

TheQuarterMaster is here to assist you survive and thrive!

Stay Safe Folks

Regards

Camo

#18 Angry Portable Pixies

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 11:09:01 GMT

#18 Angry Portable Pixies

Once upon a time the only place you could be certain of a telephone was a home or the office.

Once upon a time the only place where one could reliably expect electricity was a home or office.

Sadly once upon a time belongs to fairytales. Now phones are everywhere and electricity no where.

With all our modern devices (which do make our lives easier) we need portable power.

We need the Angry Pixies to buzz out of wall socket or a battery bank to keep the Wi-Fi on.

Whether you are on patrol in the bush, camping in the great outdoors or biding your time during load shedding you need a power bank to keep your devices going.

If you need to re-charge your cell phone, portable speaker, tablet or smart watch you will need a portable power bank, which you can use whilst you are on the move in the back of an Ubber or moving through the bush on a hike.

We have the Solar Power Bank that can be the re-charged in the sun or the Coghlan's Power Bank which can also be hand cranked to quickly re-charge.

We also have a range of lithium batteries to keep your torches shining bright as well as Car Battery Chargers

Once upon a time may belong in a fairy tale, but if you have the necessary power back up you might just experience a happily ever after!

Cheers

Camo

#17 The Mission: What Bag?

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 06:14:23 GMT

#17 The Mission: What Bag?

Real men dig bags as much as women!

The purpose and style might be totally different but in the end carrying stuff in a bag designed for a specific purpose is way better than a sack or plastic shopping bag. One may be more blingy, the other more utilitarian.

So how do you choose the correct bag for your lifestyle or daily routine?

Often guys will come in and ask for a “Bag”. I ask what do they intend to use the bag for?

In its simplest form “Mission Drives Gear” in other words TASK determines GEAR.

A very popular bag is our First Responder Bags : They are designed for the critical essentials one may need to see through a day in South Africa: Firearm, Ammo, Tourniquet, Communication Devices, Keys and Wallet. It can be slung over the shoulder that way you have all your gear with you when things start to happen. If your “crisis” gear is not on you when you need it, it might as well be on the moon!

The smaller Scout Bag that has a clam shell style opening to the two main compartments. This can carry your laptop and other essential gear including a water bladder should you so choose. For quality control purposes I was able to fit 24 of 440ml Draught Beer cans into the Scout bag. Let it never be said we at TheQuarterMaster do not test our gear! It compact size makes it ideal for carrying critical must have item, but at the same time allowing you to move at speed.

The bigger Patrol Bag that is designed for just that: Rangers or folks who need to patrol and might be out in a remote area for 48-72 Hours. It will fit a more than the Scout. This bag takes place between a day back and a back pack. Back Packs must have a hip belt to cope with the extra weight. Sensibly you should not carry more than a ¼ of your body weight. So the Patrol fills that gap between a light/heavy loads enabling you to carry a bit more without taxing yourself physically.

So try define what your mission/purpose/task with the bag is: Is it for a daily commute or more serious stuff in a remote location?

Pro-Tip: Organise your gear by either adding a laminated card to the internal of each pocket so you know where everything must be packed. Add a red ribbon to the pouch that carries your first aid gear, a blue for your water filter, maybe a yellow for fire lighting kit?

Whatever you do, remember the rule of the Tupperware cupboard: No matter the size of the cupboard you will soon fill it. The same applies with bags, maybe buy a bit larger than you need, but pack a smaller amount in it. Then accessing a single item means you do not have to unpack everthing contents

Stay safe and Pray for South Africa

Regards

Camo

#16 Lite Light

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 08:02:55 GMT

#16 Lite Light

There was a time that if you were a policeman the most sensible thing you could carry aside from your state issued firearm was a torch.

If you were a civilian a pocket biltong knife would have seen you through most emergencies.

Sadly, those days are past and it is necessary for the prepared citizen to carry a bit more than that

Specifically when it comes to lights: Previously torch use was restricted the dark hours. This is no longer the case.

Loadshedding/blackouts and cable theft all get a vote as to how dark your day can get. Even if the there is enough light to walk and work by it may not be ideal. Take an office block or Shopping mall that has some light but not enough.

This is where an EDC (Every Day Carry) Pocket torch is invaluable. Modern torches are extremely compact and have a high light output.

We are more likely to encounter low light situations whilst at work during the day, be it a shop, factory floor or office.

Having a lightweight compact torch immediately on hand and may just take the nuisance out of your work day or it may save your life.

TheQuarterMaster stocks a range of compact EDC torches a popular brand is the Zartek: 1000 Lumen Rechargeable Flashlight ZA-416 . Compact and bright it will fit your pocket and wallet.

A very popular and economical torch is our BOBCAT It’s a great price and has the striker bezel that can be used as an impact weapon in a self defence situation.

I am a real fan of the NiteCore range of torches. They are great quality and with local back, sales and support you can buy with. Confidence. The NiteCore NF01 is hectically bright. Coupled with a compact size and built in battery, it is very water resistant and shock proof.

When you need a bright lite light, TheQuarterMaster will help you out.

We warranty all the gear we sell so you can buy with confidence

Regards

Camo

#15 Re-Load

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 07:05:18 GMT

#15 Re-Load

There is a saying that: Soldiers win battles; Logistics wins wars . In other words what is the use of winning a fight but, not being able to re-supply with food, water, ammo and human resources. Simply put: To keep what you have worked or fought for, you are going to need a basic amount of supplies and services to retain what you have worked or fought for.

One of the critical components of this is ammo. Ammo that may be needed for work, sport or training. Without it we are reduced to using weapons and devices that pre-date the invention of the Black Powder.

Specifically I want to address the issue of re-loading. Reloading your own ammunition that is. Reloading ones owns bullets is an old South African past time and dates from the time of arrival of the first firearms that arrived at the Cape. Starting from CASTING one’s own bullets to even making Black Powder.

In the age of smokeless propellants the modern South African re-loader needs the correct equipment to reload in bulk and do so safely and at a quality level that makes sure that the re-loaded cartridge is both safe and accurate. Re-load a 1000 rounds and you will have recovered your costs on a LEE PROGRESSIVE PRESS Depending on your skill level you could churn out 200-400 cartridges an hour.

Here at TheQuarterMaster we also supply the BRASS and BULLETS to ensure that your reloading is economical. Economics is after all the reason we re-load in the first place.

Not only can you reload at much better than shop prices AND of a better quality using reloading DIES supplied by us. Whatever means you choose to defend yourself with, go hunting or compete in sport with: If it is Firearms, then you are going to need cheap ammo to practice and train with.

In all of this TheQuarterMaster can help.

Regards

Camo

#14 Roots

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 09:27:05 GMT

#14 Roots

For those who take the physical & spiritual safety of our family seriously, there comes a times when our “Preps” run out.

For most suburban home and flat dwellers, the best most of us can do is to physically secure our homes and then layup stores of food water and power for “Just in Case”.

For those of you reading TheQuarterMaster blog for the first time, I am sure you will agree that we are indeed living in the “Just in Case” times.

No need for me to elaborate, but, read the news. That is if you have light and power to do so.

For folks who live in houses in the suburbs or town house complexes or high rise flats the best we can do is pack away critical supplies as a “Just in Case” battery.

As long as we have supplies of food, water, power etc. we can get on normally. However we never know how long a “Just in Case” event may last, and well, eventually our battery store of supplies will dwindle and run out.

For urban folks this will become an interesting time: How exactly does one renew ones water and food supplies when the magic shelves in the local store has lost its magic? (That is it, is not automatically restocked)

Well then it is time to get back to our roots. Literally.

We are all going to have to learn how to grow our food. The problem is that it we have the “All gear and no idea” is a real brick wall that we will nose first into.

Even if you were an experienced, knowledgeable gardener, it still takes a few week or months to come to fruition. However TheQuarterMaster has a solution: We stock Living Seed, seed banks. Each has a selection of seeds that can be stored for up to 10 years.

Each packet of seed has clear instruction on how, when and where to plant.

We at TheQuarterMaster wholeheartedly endorse Living Seeds . They are a family owned South African Company. We asked them to compile seed bank (s) that had a long term storage life AND the necessary information to get you going from start to finish. (Honestly I think they grow the biggest variety of heirloom seed, in the world!)

Additionally all the seeds in the seed bank are heirloom. That means that there is no genetic modification and thus each season one can harvest the seeds for the next planting season.

However as with all things in life, all gear and no idea is a reality. So get started planting. Its good practice, healthy and satisfying.

We highly recommend a visit to the Living Seed website for more info and inspiration.

Get back to you roots: Consider buying one of the Living Seed, seed banks that we stock: 4, 6 or 10 year.

Now is the best time to get back to your roots….. Knowledge is power, experience is gold!

Regards

Camo

#13 Bang-Stick-Maintenance

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 14:08:03 GMT

#13 Bang-Stick-Maintenance

Most of us are familiar with the need to maintain our vehicles: Either through a service plan or a warning light coming on whilst driving.

With firearms, at present we do not have such electronic warning lights (It will come I am sure).

Cleaning and maintaining a firearm is either done too often or not at all. Most who served in the military would have an idea that all firearms MUST be cleaned after each use. There are sound military reasons for this: To maintain and extend the lifespan of the said firearm which is perhaps going to have many users over its lifetime.

For a civilian things are different: Buying and owning a firearm has the natural motivation to care for it that comes with owning property.

If your firearm has been exposed to dust, rain, mud etc. then by all means detail strip it to its last spring and pin. Use a correct Gun Cleaner that will also lubricate and protect against rust.

And that is part of the problem: Many so called cleaning fluids are either hellish expensive imports or simply are not up to the task of Cleaning Lubricating and Protecting.

I highly recommend Herschel’s Gun Cleaner that does indeed, Clean, Lube and Protect, yet it does not cost an arm and a leg and does not cause a cancer either.

What about the sport shooter who shoot their firearm over a weekend during a competition?

Well, if you keep a log of round count then clean it two or four times year. Semi-Automatic’s need more cleaning than bolt action/single shot. It is more important to make sure that your semi-auto is lubed than shiny clean. Reports from shooting ranges in Gauteng are that some AK’s and AR’s run for 10’s of 1000’s of round PROVIDED they are lubricated.

We do not strip our car engines every time after use. Neither should it be necessary to details strip a modern firearm every time. A wipe on the outside and some lubricant on the correct places and you should be good to go.

TheQuarterMaster also stock Gun Cloths which are ideal for cleaning the barrel. (Pro tip: The used gun cloths make nice fire lighters!)

Whatever you do, unless storing the firearm for long term, never leave a layer of oil in the barrel and chamber.

Oil under pressure from the bullet travelling out the barrel creates a force cone which can damage the barrel.

Oil in the chamber causes increased case/doppie thrust onto the bolt as there is less friction between the doppie and the chamber.

This results in way way more pressure being exerted onto the bolt than it was designed for.

And as with all things mechanical, you will need the correct cleaning kit to clean your firearm especially the barrel.

TheQuarterMaster stocks a range of cleaning kits, gun cloths and Combo kits and tools to do field maintenance.

Keep your Powder Dry and your BangStick Clean, Lubricated and Protected!

Regards

Camo

#12 Burn

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 14:08:08 GMT

#12 Burn

Jip: Getting something to burn can be the most difficult or simple thing to do.

I am sometimes confounded by how many matches I need to start my Saturday Braai fire. I mean its not an emergency, I have the necessary firelighters and matches or even a lighter.

It’s deeply embarrassing and I generally do not share embarrassing moment to often.

Now imagine you are out in the Bundu Bush and you need to start a fire. Can you afford to be embarrassed? What might be an exciting outdoor adventure, could, possibly turn nasty without the ability to get a fire burning quickly.

The reality is that despite how cool it might be to be able to light a fire with a Ferro Rod or A Friction Drill, it can be done much simpler with a Lighter . It might not be as cool, but it gets the job done.

To this end TheQuarterMaster stocks a range of Jet Lighters that will not easily blow out and can be refilled without any special adaptors.

When it comes lighting fires anywhere anytime, a Ferro Rod is bullet proof. Even when wet it will create a spark. It can stand up to a lot of rough handling and will only stop working when you lose it.

The thing about a Ferro Rod is that you need to know how to use it. First of all you need to prepare your tinder ranging from Ultra Fine hair size to pencil size then to the bigger Ø. Fail to prepare and pre-build your fire and you are going to waste your time.

Most folks simply run a blade down the Ferro rod towards the nest of kindling. Another technique is to “chip” of a piece of the Ferro rod by placing your blade near the tip and then with your thumb exerting downward pressure onto the blade and thus onto the Ferro Rod, with a twist your wrist you flick the blade and, if you have practiced you will send a spark into the nest of kindling.

A good piece of advice is to have a dedicated knife that is only used on the Ferro Rod, otherwise you are going to be blunting your blade quicker than most.

Whichever method you use, it takes practice. It's a lot more fun to have it at a Saturday afternoon braai than to struggle out in the bush.

But you do not have to struggle: TheQuarterMaster has Fuel Tablets that can be used on pocket stoves or as firelighters to get your fire going quicker. Even Alcohol Prep pads will light quickly if a spark is applied. We have Tinder Rope to provide the ultra fine kindling you need.

Another neat trick is to keep all your old cloths that you cleaned your firearm barrels with. Most of the time they are coated in oil, carbon and cleaning fluid. Put them in a container and keep with your fire starting kit.

As with all gear: Get the knowledge, get the practice and then adventure.

Cheers

Camo

#11 Sleep

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 06:07:37 GMT

#11 Sleep

Somehow I seem to talk about stuff that, well, I cannot always sell, but is critical to our health and survival.

A good night’s sleep is gold! Ask any parents who have a new born baby how disruptive and exhausting it can be.

There is an ironic saying that ‘God hates those who do not sleep’. The inference is that one is so grumpy, that you can genuinely feel that the whole world hates you. Small issues become big problems and at time become fatal.

Long ago the longest I have stayed awake was about 72 hours. I will not do it again. Especially if one is required to handle firearms or machines. At that stage logical thought is barely possible.

In a survival situation sleep is as critical as food, shelter and water. Indeed sleep deprivation is a form of torture. The quality of your decisions and relationship with others depend on it.

Ever wonder why the homeless sleep out in park and roads during the day? Mostly it’s because trying to stay warm at night means you have to stay awake sans a warm bed.

Yet it does not have to be complicated.

If you do find yourself stranded away from even basic comforts, all you need is to get a pile of firewood and a small fire that you can sleep alongside. Yes, you will have to wake up every now and then and keep adding fuel. The better the quality of wood to give good coals the better you will be able to sleep.

I did this a few years ago: Sleep was broken, but I was able to get some shut eye. What really helped was a PONCHO that I was allowed to use.

This poncho allowed me to wrap up and at least lie down and make the best of it.

A few years before that I literally slept out in the rain with only the poncho to cover me.

If I lay still, I was warm and wet. If I turned over, I was cold and wet. Laying still allowed my body to warm the water.

On both occasions I survived the dark nights out.

A poncho is really a simple piece of gear that can be strung up as a shelter, a rain coat or a ground sheet. It takes up minimal space and might just get you a few hours extra sleep.

For extra luxury I would recommend our own Busheldt Bedroll . It really does get you a good nights sleep wherever you may be. We even upgraded it to include a carry bag that is easy to get it into.

Cheers

Camo

#10 Blood

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 08:47:42 GMT

#10 Blood

Perhaps an uncomfortable topic for some: Anyone who has witnessed a violent crime or accident scene for the first time is usually shocked by its chaos and the amount of blood all over the place.

Hollywood like to portray action scenes with lots of blood and the accompanying screaming and gore.

Blood is life whilst it flows through our veins and arteries: When cut, stabbed or shot either by accident or intent, I am always shocked at the amount of bleeding that takes place in such a short time.

Question: If faced with a victim who is not breathing AND bleeding . What would you treat first? Breathing? Bleeding?

Think about it: If you resuscitate the victim in 3 minutes but they bleed out was it any good starting with breathing?

What if you staunch the bleeding with pressure and then proceed to resuscitate? Do you not think this would be more effective in saving a life?

The principal is that whilst you can get air into a victim, you cannot get their blood into them. (The experts can do this, but much later)

I am proud to say that TheQuarterMaster stocks an Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) that has large bandage and a tourniquet.

What is different about this IFAK?

I know that it has saved the lives of 4 customers or someone they attended too, including myself.

Gear without knowledge is useless (and dangerous) I would highly recommend that everyone do a “Stop the Bleed Course”

The combination of that course and the fact that I had TheQuarterMaster IFAK with me, saved my life. It stopped the bleeding and as importantly it prevented me from going into shock.

Pop in and I can show you the kit and give you 10 minutes of knowledge that could save your life. We even have carry bags specifically designed for this kit.

It did mine.

Regards

Camo

Ps: How do you know you have put a Tourniquet on right: It really hurts.

#9 Get Knotted

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 10:51:04 GMT

#9 Get Knotted

There is an irony to life.

For the most part I cannot get through my day without having to pull out my HoneyBadger Knife and cut open a box, a package or even that piece of biltong that has strayed across my path. Personally I am absolutely lost without quick access to my knife.

Conversely: As much as you and I might need to cut paper, plastic, meat, string, vegetables and fabric. You will as some point have to stitch, tie or tape something together. Be it people, persons or things.

Rope and tape are equal in necessity to the ability to cutting. The one separates the other joins.

And as always it is important that you use the correct rope tape or cable tie for the application at hand.

TheQuarterMaster has a range of tapes: From the popular Duct Tape to Metal Bonding Tape for sticking metal parts and panels together.

In terms of Cords and Ropes we have the ever popular Paracord . Did you know that you can take out the inner stands to be used as a light gauge string and the tube or sheath for drawstrings or shoe laces. Whatever you do: Please do not attempt to use any cord (Thin Rope as a Tourniquet)

Yes, we do have so called climbing ropes, but you need to understand that a rope you climb with is not the same rope you can abseil or rappel with. Each has a different amount of stretch and strength.

Most ropes will have a static and dynamic rating: Static meaning something like lifting a load where there is not going to be any sudden shock from the item being lifted and then dropping suddenly. Dynamic rating is what is important if say you are working from a height and there exists the possibility of falling/dropping suddenly.

It is important that one cares for the Dynamic and Static ropes as Salt, dust, dirt and oils will affect and degrade their performance. (Yes: There has to be special ropes on yachts etc. for sailing. Salt crystals can really destroy ordinary rope)

As important as caring for the ropes is the ability to tie the proper knot to be able to do what needs to be done: You will not endear yourself to the owner of the rope if you go at it with your pocket knife and possibly might find out about the hangman’s knot quicker than most.

What about if you arrest and need to detain someone?

Well TheQuarterMaster has some super strong FlexiCuffs that make it easy and cost effective to arrest a suspect, or many suspects for that matter: Easy to be able to apply and restrain the suspect without the risk of cutting off their circulation. Any injuries the suspect may sustain whilst being restrained will be your responsibility and more than likely legal consequences will follow too. WHATEVER you do: Use a pair of side cutters to remove the Flexicuffs . Removing by cutting with a knife is going to result in a stab or slash wound when the blade slips. The FlexiCuffs are strong for a reason.

Lastly we do sell pre-threaded non-soluble Suture gut for stitching up, you know, people. Obviously you need to know what do in the first place and we recommend you leave this to the First aid and medical pro’s. However they are not always around, hence, get the gear and practice with it. Who knows a stitch in time may just save a life?

Whatever your knotty needs are we at TheQuarterMaster will do our best to advise and assist.

Cheers

Camo

#8 Get Lost

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 06:38:31 GMT

Don't Get Lost

Somehow in this day and age I relish the opportunity of getting lost in the bundu.

I am pretty sure that the novelty will wear off quickly though.

That is the case with most adventures. The novelty wears off pretty quick, and though it may make for good memories later on, at the time it can really suck to be lost. Properly lost and you will be dead in a few days without water or even quicker without shelter to the elements.

I know and realise that with the advent of the internets, smart devices, smart watches it has not really made us any smarter.

If you do not know how to navigate with a compass or gps then you are even less likely to be able to navigate with a smart watch or device.

Knowledge is power. Practice Essential.

Do you know that there is two versions of North? Magnetic and True. Which one is your device set too?

Also did you know that compasses should be calibrated for the Hemisphere they are intended to work in?

Even if your smart watch or smart phone is working, has battery life and has signal: Do you know how to take readings off the map and apply to the real world? Conversely can you take readings off your devices and apply them to your map?

Finally: Do you know how to take a bearing with a compass or a device and are you able to communicate it to others.

Using a compass and a map is quite simple, but it takes a bit of practice. It can mean the difference between a really good adventure and a terribly bad one

Here at TheQuarterMaster we sell a range of compass’s to suit your pocket.

Hoping all your adventure are of the memorable variety.

Cheers

Camo

#7 More Customer Tales

Thu, 08 Jun 2023 10:12:54 GMT

#7 More Customer Tales

It has been awhile since I told a tale or two of the customers who frequent TheQuarterMaster, so, here are two tales: (Few details changed to protect Identities and the story is entirely a product of my memory)

Our Customer, who happens to be a Catholic Priest, is travelling through on restricted road in a National Game Park in a country north of the Orange River. He has a permit to be on the road.

It is dark and he needs get to his parish. Glancing down at the instrument cluster he notices that the Engine is starting to overheat. Not wanting to destroy the engine he stops pulls off the dirt road, into the bush and waits for the engine to cool. It was going to be a long night: He still had more than few kilo

meters to go.

Checking the engine bay he notices that there is a leak from the radiator. He waits a few hours for the engine to cool. The engine has cooled and he starts up again. It is no less dark and dawn is still a good 6 hours away.

Again the needle climbs past the indicated safe operating temperature. Our intrepid Priest pulls over again.

Despite his European ancestry and ability to speak a few European languages, the local language and a smattering of Bushman, he was also wise enough to realise that remaining in the car is the safest.

He had been in Africa long enough to know that the wild life was, indeed, really wild and had no compunction in eating, biting or stomping on Catholics.

Priest or not.

By now it had been dark for a while and whilst waiting for the needle to show that the engine was cool enough he spotted what he thought was a flash of light.

He gets out the vehicle and indeed see what look like torch or headlights. No doubt saying a few prayers he sets out towards the lights. The thought does occur to him that he is in a restricted area and wonders who could be out in such a place at such a time.

Approaching what turns to be the dim headlights of a Cruiser says his prayers and introduces his presence in the local language.

If the poachers were startled they did not show it: 3 sets of eyes fixed on a disheveled “Mlungu”. Shocked silence follows. You could have heard a monkey burp.

The Priest notices the bolt action rifle and realises that there was no way these men had a permit. Doing his best to keep his wits about him he explains his predicament.

The men realise they have two options: Help or Murder.

They hitch the overheating vehicle with a piece of rope to their vehicle and then tow the Priest to a local bushman village. They unhitch and without further ado depart post haste.

It’s passed Zero Dark thirty and the Priest stands next to his bakkie surrounded by many short bushman dressed in an assortment of western and bush clothing.

Using his skill at the local language and bushman he once again explains to a bemused group of Bushmen, women and children his predicament.

The village has now gathered around the stricken vehicle and are all making the requisite clicking and “Ag Shame”sounds in Bushmen-ese.

One of the younger fellow’s steps out of the crowd asks the Priest for his torch. He hands over a 3 D Cell Maglite. (This torch uses 3 of the large D cell Batteries)

Before he can protest the young Bushman has emptied the Maglite of it large batteries and has taken out his knife and cut the covering off, revealing the battery innards.

He digs through and he gets to the Carbon rod in the center. He then ask for a set of jumper cables which our prudent Priest-customer carries with him.

With the help of another even dimmer torch the leak in the radiator is identified. The jumper cables are attached to the Battery terminals

One end is then clamped onto the radiator.

He then clamps the carbon core of the D Cell battery in the remaining jaw of the Jumper Cable. Next he proceed to create an arc between the leak in the radiator on the carbon core.

Our Priest is absolutely fascinated by this if not a bit blinded by an Arc Light at 03:00 in the morning.

After a few strikes the Bushmen welds the hole shut. Fortunately the battery is still functional enough to get the bakkies to start.

From a nearby government drilled borehole the radiator is refilled and once certain that the temperature was stable, our intrepid Bush Priest set off to his parish.

He was shaken, exhausted, and most grateful for the mercy shown by the Poachers and the ingenuity of the Bushman Battery Welder.

Indeed: God answers prayers through others.

May he answer yours too.

Cheers

Camo

#6 Defend Thy-Self

Wed, 31 May 2023 14:12:27 GMT

#6 Defend Thy-Self

People are unique and are created in the image of a Loving God.

For the most part folks are happy to be alive, would like to remain alive and unhurt and unthreatened.

With this in mind many folks come into the shop looking for a means to remain unhurt and unthreatened as they are tired of living in fear.

The problem is not everyone can afford firearms for defence and to be blunt some are pretty anti-gun for whatever reason.

As the sales guy I have to try to find a solution to their dilemma: That is trying to defend themselves without using lethal means.

I am usually politely blunt: If someone is illegally threatening your life and the attack is imminent, then, the means to respond must be proportional

However as some folks have not adjusted there mindset to this and would prefer a softer option so to speak.

In terms of a self defence tool that offers distance I would recommend Pepper systems such as Paint Ball Guns used with pepper filled balls or nylon solids. It gives one a measure of stand-off distance from the attacker. Yes they can hurt, and I suppose if it hits in the eye it can be potentially lethal.

I recommend the use of pepper filled balls. They are harder, can be shot at a higher velocity, and if they hit they are going to hurt and coat the attacker in a pepper dust that is quite unpleasant. IMPORTANTLY if they miss and hit an object and break nearby they blow their contents all over the area, still having an effect.

Next is Pepper Sprays : Use correctly otherwise you could spray yourself. Depending on the type you use Fog equals Less Accuracy required and will affect a confined space quickly.

Direct Stream, similar to a stream from a water pistol, it requires accuracy. An advantage is that it will not aerosolise into the air. This is important if used in a shopping mall. You will not be popular with center management if affects other customers.

Be warned: Not all pepper sprays are equal and it has been known that they do not always work. Dogs and humans do not always read the warning labels on Pepper sprays cans.

Extendable Batons are an ideal self defence instrument, they are compact and easy to conceal and can really deal a fight stopping impact if used correctly. However they require a measure of strength and skill to use. Practice is required to use properly.

Shockers or Stun guns are a great intimidation tool. The nasty electric spark gives most people a fright given ones natural reluctance to be electrocuted. But be warned, a hand held shocker can intimidate and hurt, but seldom does it work like it does in the movies. If you are using a Shocker you are most likely very close to the assailant.

So be aware of the pros and cons of each type of method of self-defence. There are physical, legal and moral implications for each.

#5 Stuff You Can Not Buy, Stuff I Can't Sell

craig@thequartermaster.co.za (Craig Quartermaster) — Wed, 24 May 2023 12:07:40 GMT

#5 Stuff You Can Not Buy, Stuff I Can't Sell : Relationships

On the surface of it we are exist within a very physical realm. To all appearances only what can be sensed, touched, tasted, felt and heard is real.

Anyone packing for a holiday road trip, camping trip or a war will soon become aware of the amount of “stuff” that is necessary to take with.

Pretty soon the car or truck is filled with “stuff” that hopefully will allow you to have a great time and/or at least win and come back alive.

However all that “stuff” is useless without the know how to use it. Tools and Technology always will require some minimum skill level to be used properly. If you disagree then I would use the example of a chef who does not know how to cook or cooks seldom. The food that he prepared is at best going to be poor and at worst un-hygienically prepared with all the consequences thereof.

Ask anyone who has had a generator or solar system installed BUT does not have clue how to operate.

I repeat: You need the skills to operate the tools and tech that are needed to keep you both comfortable and alive.

Problem is that we cannot specialise in everything. You will always be Jack of all trades at most things and even then it is the school of hard knocks that does the teaching. Sometimes being average at something is good enough even though not ideal.

Thus it is critical that one develop positive relationships with neighbours and those within your community. When the proverbial hits the fan it is always going to be the ones around you who can come to your aid, whether this be a technical emergency (broken down car etc) or not knowing how to use a particular tool/technology.

In the context of our social lives a popular buzz word is “support system” meaning we try surround ourselves with strong and positive role models. Folks who would encourage, motivate and support us on our journey through life.

In extreme situations such as a crisis, medical emergency or being the victim of crime these are the people we hope will come to our aid.

The Good Book says we must love our neighbour. Its good advice, but I would not rely on the kindness of total strangers given a crisis.

Knowledge plus Good relationships for the most part cannot be bought. At some point you need to cultivate the relationships with your neighbours and your broader community in order that when push comes to shove they will have your back.

Ask anyone who live through the July 2021 Riots in KZN and elsewhere. Total strangers found themselves standing shoulder to shoulder with the common cause of safeguarding their communities and families.

I would urge you not to wait: Join local, clubs and churches to expand your social network. Join local community protection groups. Do time trying to make a difference in the area where you live.

This is the only currency that counts at the end: Good Positive relationships focused on serving others.

#2 So Where wear we

tinus@secuhold.co.za (Tinus quarter) — Thu, 18 May 2023 12:48:55 GMT

#2 So Where wear we

Following on from our previous mailer I posed the question to you: Where do you start?

(If you have not read it you can check it out here: Where to Begin ).

I also supplied an answer which I think is a priority given the circumstances that comprise a really tough situation in South Africa 2023.

You can accuse our country of being many things, but, boring is certainly not one of them.

Tragically it is also a deadly place: Urban or Rural things can get violent quickly given the state of lawlessness.

Hence my advice that Security should be top of your priority list. What is the use of securing your family materially if someone using violence can simply take it from you?

So you have now at least taken Security into account: What is the next step?

Simple: Think of life as a series of 3’s that can be, well, life changing.

Miss 3 meals and your priorities change quickly.
3 Days without water is seriously uncomfortable and looking for trouble.
3 minutes without air and you won’t be doing much in the 4 ^th minute.

The point is that YOU now need to decide in terms of Water, Food, Shelter and Medical and so forth, what is important to you and your family given your circumstances.

It would be idiotic of me to prescribe to you what should be your priority. (Aside from the Security that is).

So continue to analyse:

How much Food do you have on hand? How many days, weeks, and months can you go without having to rely on the magic shelf at the shops? (A magic shelf is when the shelf is magically re-stocked overnight).

Water: Take a worst case scenario. If you are reduced to 5 Litre’s of water per day for drinking cooking and ablutions? How would that look? How would you cope with that? Hint get used to carrying buckets and bottles.

Perhaps you think I am making light of a very serious situation. Perhaps, but the labour spent on hauling water around soon becomes hard work, timeous and extremely draining.

So I would advise look at water: For the most part it is a vital supply (Like Electricity) and yes, supplied by government entities and thus in my opinion going to be the next utility to collapse because of improper planning, maintenance and simple ineptitude.

We here at TheQuarterMaster take the issue of water extremely seriously and have an entire department focused on solutions to purify and filter your water .

From a Pill that will sterilise 5000 Liters of Water to Portable filters that can be used.

#4 Communication

craig@thequartermaster.co.za (Craig Quartermaster) — Thu, 18 May 2023 09:57:35 GMT

#4 Communication

Without communication you have no control. This is either an irritation or has life consequences.

We take easy communications for granted. If you do not think so try arrange a Braai with your mates this Saturday without the use of a cell phone. How will that work out for you?

What would be the alternative to cell communication?

It’s quite mind numbing to think that there was a time before cell network, the internet and even fax machines.

How would you communicate with out the availability of the specialised and power hungry comms networks?

We at TheQuarterMaster suggest that you look at the use of Radio’s for emergency communications.

They have their advantages and disadvantages: The prime advantage is that you are not reliant (For the most part) on critical infrastructure such as cell beacons or the national power grid. (Radio Repeaters are another discussion)

Correctly used radios can provide good reliable communication where ever you need to be BUT there are limitations.

Terrain and Topography have a vote in the distance that a signal can travel. Generally radio signals will travel to the horizon. Building, kopjes and bush etc. will degrade the signal.

Another limitation (Not disadvantage) is that those using the radio’s must know correct radio procedure. It is not simply a matter of holding down the PTT (Press to Talk) button and then jabbering away.

Radios are a one way communication device. The users need to know this otherwise they will cause no end of frustration and jam up your comms network. Also Radio comms is NOT private.

Mobile radios are more powerful and thus can “punch” through obstructions, but are subject to the same limitations.

Simply put, when you are going to communicate with a radio a suggested basic radio procedure would be:

Think about what you intend to communicate and to whom.
Press and hold the PTT for 1 second before talking*
Identify yourself first by name or call sign. (That way those who receive the transmission know who is calling)
Name the person/call sign you are trying to contact
Wait for the response
Communicate the message
Check that the intended person has received the message, understands and acknowledges that they have received and understand it.
Sign off (Rule of thumb; the person who initiates the contact ends it)
Continue to hold the PTT down for 1 second after you have ended the contact*

(This allows the channel to open/close. Otherwise you will chop off some of your message)

A radio set up in your area of work or where you live will enable you to communicate easily with friends, neighbours, colleagues without too much fuss.

BUT it is critical that such a radio network be up and running before a crisis so that everyone know how to and also how NOT to use a radio.

We take cell and social media communications for granted and it is vital that you have a Plan B in place in case of communications and or grid failure.

There is much more technical stuff to talk about regarding radio’s such as aerials, Band, GMRS, FRS licensing etc.

Here at TheQuarterMaster we are ready to assist you with Communications products and advice.

Regards

Camo

#3 When Lord Gut Speaks

craig@thequartermaster.co.za (Craig Quartermaster) — Thu, 11 May 2023 11:18:45 GMT

TheQuarterMaster #3 When Lord Gut Speaks.

In issue #1 we discussed the priority of Personal Security in terms of preparedness.

Issue #2 I emphasised that I thought water was your second most critical resource given the possibility of a Total Grid Failure.

Let emphasise Our Motto is Good Gear for The Good Guys. I know of more than a few customers whose lives have either being saved by the Gear we sold them, or, it simply prevented a crisis or emergency. I am not fear mongering.

That said I would now encourage you to turn your preparedness attention to FOOD.

Ideally: Good food in moderation, hygienically prepared and prepared with love is necessary for our physical survival AND also our spiritual and psychological well-being.

Food is so much more than filling “Lord Gut”. Yes it is vital for our daily existence. But life is more than existing. Eat a monotonous diet for an extended period and you are not going to be a happy camper. A life time’s supply of Microwave TV dinners eaten alone is my idea of eating at hells kitchen.

For better, and worse (For most of us that is) our diets are rich in flavour and eating is regular privilege. So if a crisis does arise where we cannot get our favourite sauce or pasta or cream or meat or coffee (You get the point) then this is going to affect us. And it will affect the more immature quicker than the mature (Whether they be adults or children is another story).

Honestly I think it the end of the world if my day does not include a good cup of coffee or two.

A radical change in diet, regularity and the circumstances that the meal is eaten in will have huge impact on your family.

You might have tons of food stored up, but if it lack variety you are soon going to have grumblings within your family. In other word family Morale will soon hit rock bottom.

If morale within a family is low and is going to strain relationships.

Given the threat to our electricity, those who now have to prepare a simple meal are faced with the additional challenges.

At the extreme if your family is going to go hungry, you as a Father or Mother, Son or Daughter going to do ANYTHING to make sure your family can eat.

I pray that you may never encounter such need and experience this. I am sure that many a refugee can attest to this. History is replete with stories of Parents doing anything to feed their family including committing crime.

Any plan to keep your family fed is a good preparation.

Variety and regularity of meals is as important.

That said: we do not live in an ideal world and thus TheQuarterMaster BUT there are times when good food away from home is also fun!

At TheQuarterMaster we sell Single meal food pouches that require no preparation except heating and Seven Oceans Biscuits.

These have proved to be very popular with Hikers, Campers, Overland travellers, Anti-poaching units.

Interestingly they have been very popular with Mom’s and Dad’s who want to have an emergency food supply on hand in case of a worst case scenario.

Regards Camo

#1 Where To Begin

craig@thequartermaster.co.za (Craig Quartermaster) — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 07:28:31 GMT

Where to Begin?

The QuarterMaster #1: Where to Begin?

So you have been getting emails from an online shop www.thequartermaster.co.za and perhaps you have heard how great there service and their slogan “Good Gear for the Good Guys”

Perhaps, like most of our customers you are increasingly aware that things are changing in our country and not for the better. (Not trying to fear monger either)

The logical sensible next question well what can I do about it?

Honestly: Having been confronted with such a question, it follows you need to know where to begin

I jokingly often say that the first thing I will do when I am Lord Emperor Dictator for life (LED4L) is conquer the world.

The first thing when you need to do when setting off to conquer the world is: A Map.

Now, for most of our customers I suspect this is not something that is on their to-do list.

So when seeing the decay in our beautiful country, the question arises: Where do I begin?

Fantastic, if you have not asked this question (most of our customers have) then well done!

Over the last few years, especially since the lockdowns I have found individuals shopping with us that, to be honest, a few years ago I would never have expected to. You know you can even insert your own stereotypes such as Wits students ;-) ;-)

These good folks and many others are confronted by that awkward reality called, well REALITY!

I do not intend to be satirical for the balance of this email: There are many topics that one need to take into account in order to secure ones families against looming consequences of National Decay.

· Spiritual

· Food

· Water

· Power (Angry Pixies = Electricity or Carbon Based Liquid fuels etc)

· Shelter

· Security

· Transportation

· Medical

· Sanitation

· Financial

Perhaps this list is not exhaustive list (sadly), but, at least we have a few criteria which makes for a more simpler/accurate place where to start, but there still is a ton of stuff to cover.

At the very very beginning you have to start with SECURITY.

Why? Because you are going to go to a lot of effort to accumulate stuff, and then be very sad when someone takes it from you. Most South Africans already are familiar with high walls, fences, and the house hold alarm. I am not going to bore you with horror stories of crime. I too have been a victim over the years. Most of the time it has cost me money, shock, anger and once a lot of blood.

Your plans to secure your family are moot if someone ignores common morality: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. (It should really not be that complicated to not steal or murder you would think)

Think of security as a series of rings or layers around you. Some preparedness folks talk about layers of an onion.

The 1 ^st layer-ring is around you as an individual. You will need to have certain mindset, skills and the requisite tools to ensure your bodily integrity. More on this shortly

The 2 ^nd layer-ring is around your property. Starting with internal door, burglar bars, alarms

3 ^rd layer might be high walls and fences

4 ^th layer might be your armed response company (It should be the SAPS)

Hopefully you now get the picture. The rings around you will change if you are in your car, on the beach or at the office.

If you are prepared to leave your bodily integrity in the hands of say a minimum wage security guard or armed response officer then stop reading.

You are important and unique. There is no one else like you or as unique as you. You are important: If you do not get home tonight then there is going to be a family that will be sad. Very sad. Even if you do not have a family as in not married and no kids, there is a Mom and Dad that will be crying.

(If you think that the above does not apply to you: I will be dealing with that in a future email.)

Bottom Line: There is at least someone who loves you and it is thus in your interest to defend your bodily integrity in order to prevent the shedding of tears by those who need you and love you.

You as uniquely created individual have a duty to defend your bodily integrity and those for whom you are responsible for. Believe me there are fates worse than death: Dying the death of a coward (That is: Deliberately and consciously abandoning those you are duty bound to defend) is one of them.

So start thinking about depending your physical self.

Again, this can be easily broken down into 3 aspects of self defence.

Empty hands: This is you alone against the assailant with literally no weapons other than you mindset, physique and skill. Your hands are empty: literally. The best you can do is punch, kick, scream, bite and scratch. Do what you must, put up a good fight, and it is a good fight as it is your life.

Contact Weapons: Such like weapons you need to be close to the attacker. Which in turn means he (or she) is close to you. It may be stun guns, batons, knives. Certainly they are giving you an advantage, but the assailant is as close to you as you are to him. Not ideal but certainly better than empty hands.

Distance Weapons: This can range from catapults, bow and arrow, pepper ball and ultimately firearms.

Each type of weapon needs the requisite mindset AND skill to operate; successfully. Possession does not entail expertise. (Owning a Bag Pipe does not make you a BagPiper)

We at TheQuarterMaster are here for you: Good Gear for the Good Guys is not simply a slogan: Our gear has saved lives.

And that is exactly how we want to make South Africa: A good place for good folk to live and thrive.

God Bless you all and thank you for reading this far.

Camo and TheQuarterMaster Crew.

THEQUARTERMASTER - OUR STORY

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 09:33:44 GMT

As most of our customers are aware: TacQM used to host their online shop with Shopify

Towards the end of Feb 2019, Shopify decided that they hated the idea that TacQM sold things like magazines that held more than 10 rounds, or pocket knives, or stuff to clean cartridges with and de-platformed the entire store.

There was discussion as to whether they should capitulate and remove items from the store which are perfectly legal in the country in which they are sold. The guys decided that guilt by implication was not something they could swallow and decided to start over. Yeah, right? Start over in this economic climate? Were they crazy? Actually no. TacQM was built on honour and credibility and they weren’t going to backtrack on their integrity, so balls to the wall, they decided to build a brand new platform that they could continue selling good gear to the good guys, with no snow-flakery involved.

They saw this as a massive opportunity to do things a little differently and hopefully a little better. The decision was made to have a walk-in store as well where you can come in and touch and feel the item you may want to purchase. The new online store is up and running and is much more manageable than the last platform, so it allows for speedier uploads and product changes/updates.

They also saw this as an opportunity to re-brand the business. The word ‘Tactical’ has lost much of it’s original intent and seems to infer 'tacticool' more than tried and tested gear now days.

So the thinking caps went on again and ideas were played with. The one idea that never changed was that the business was indeed still a form of QuarterMaster store. They don’t just do tactical, or gun stuff, but the store caters for the offroader, the camper, the hiker, the outdoors-man, and yes the gun enthusiast, hunter and security operator.

With resounding agreement, and also because it made so much sense as to not kill the brand they had worked so hard on, but also embrace the new, the business is called;

TheQuarterMaster

It says exactly what they are, what they do, and what they stand for; Great Gear for the Good Guys!

Customer Tales Vol 1

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 09:07:41 GMT

We at TheQuarterMasters has some interesting customers

Some a lot more interesting than others though.

I usually give another Man/Women (Insert gender appropriate noun, verb or adjective) their due when they tell a tall tale. Perhaps this is a weakness of mine which may be defined as naivety, however I have heard some real interesting stories, and, I love good stories; who doesn’t? Below are some stories that I recall from customers, obviously for OPSEC* reasons I will not identify the customer or betray their confidence. So, if I am vague on details it’s either to protect the privacy of my valued customer, the fact that my memory is not what it should be or maybe I had to embellish it like a fisherman.

The customer (A white bloke/European/Settler/Colonialist…..you know what to do here) had bought a tract of land in an African Country. It’s a rough place where one has to build up and construct everything oneself and, much like living on a wild frontier, the law is pretty much in the hands of those who are prepared to use violence. It requires time, money and fortitude that only living in Africa can bring. He had discovered our shop paging through Popular Mechanics Magazine and popped in to get Water Filtration supplies.

We got on to the usual stories of how “Africa is not for sissies” and he told me when he was introduced to the local Police Captain in the area he had bought the land, the captain was introduced by name followed by the statement that he (the captain) had 5 kills! On further investigation he found out that the local law enforcement, (I am sure the term was being used loosely) would more often than not settle matter permanently when dealing with criminals. If a gang of thieves was suspected in crime, anyone associated with them better have good running shoes. When I enquired of the customer about firearms in his local African country he mentioned that he was actually in their version of the military reserve and had been issued and Kalashnikov a couple of mags and rank too boot!

In discussion turned to the Chinese and how they seem to be everywhere, from road constructions in Lesotho, to wanting to build a prison for Chinese convicts in Namibia. (Apparently the Namibians rejected this).

He told me that in his travels through the Congo he found himself on a road in the middle of deepest darkest remote Congo and the only other soul that he saw after a day or so of travelling was a Chinese national who had a rudimentary tent set up as accommodation and even more antiquated smelter that looked like it was pre-industrial revolution in technology. This man would be seated at his tent and the local Congolese would bring him lumps of copper ore to smelt down. He would pay or barter for the lumps and apparently once every now and then other Chinese would then collect the smelted ore for which was then shipped off to who only knows where.

I personally have heard of stories where individuals who have fallen afoul of the authorities (of that particular country) are sent to other destinations. The condition is that they will work and stay there until they die and their family derive some form of income from it in the process. How true this is I can only speculate. Either way it is a grim. This customer: A member of a community police responds to an armed robbery on a farm. Arriving on scene he assists the female victims untie themselves and starts to post BOLO for the attackers.

His sixth sense tells him that all is not well on the scene. He takes his binoculars and scans the surrounding veld and kopjes. His blood runs cold: someone is observing them from a distance on the side of a kopje. He leaves via a circuitous route and approaches from behind. He manages to startle 11 individuals who are lying prone watching the farmhouse.

They all now run off. After a few moments he encourages them to stop and restrains them all. No mean feat when you are on your own. Amongst them is the usual assortment of knives, panga’s clubs.

It turns out that they were not linked with the armed robbery but, were kids that had been either kidnapped or coerced into attending an initiation school. For some reason the initiation school was atop the kopje. These (Illegal) initiation schools (Yes there are legal initiation schools) are notorious for the manner in which they operate. Performing circumsion’s with rusty blades and generally not looking out for the welfare of abafana (boys) who attend them. Mostly they are cold, hungry and sick at the end of it.

Some of these kids were clearly in pain and in one or two infection had set in. (Reason #1 why to pack protective gloves) the ambulance and the police were summoned, and after many hours eventually arrived and took the boys into custody. Turns out that 4 of the boys had been reported missing to the local police. Apparently boys are coerced through peer pressure to attend, often running away from home, or, the parent are threatened that a hex or curse will be placed on them should they not allow their sons to attend, or, a combination where the kids are taken and the parent have to pay a ransom, if not face the fact that either they or their children will be bewitched.

At this point you can imagine that the parents will not be approaching the police reluctantly or not at all. And so endeth the stories, pop onto TheQuarterMaster if you need gear to survive and thrive in Africa, and share a tale if you have. How true or accurate the above stories are I, like you can only speculate, but at least we know to have a pinch of salt close at hand

Cheers

Camo

*OPSEC: Operational Security because personal privacy does not sound nearly as cool or tactical.

A Dark night of Beekeeping

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 09:07:38 GMT

A Dark night of Beekeeping, Hollow Points, and the SAPS.

Is a cold and dark winter’s night on the Highveld. I am about 35km south of Jhb Central. A good friend and I have been maintaining a set of beehives we have at our shooting range. It is an extremely rewarding hobby. Best done in the dark with the use of red headlamps and the correct attire. (Nonetheless I have been stung a few times, more about that later) As is tradition we end the nights work with a beer. As cold as it is you actually get quite hot in the bee suit and stink of smoke. I was wearing a Khaki coloured type Buff to keep my head warm and the hair out of my eyes whilst working.

We waited for another friend to arrive, however he said he would pop around later as he had issues with one of his lambs…… We pack away our gear and share out some of the honey comb for later consumption. I am carrying my G17 in an OWB Daniels holster, on my back seat is my semi-auto shotgun. To say that the area was incident free would be farcical. Our range has been subject to numerous burglaries and the neighbouring farmer has been in more than 2 gunfights which have resulted in fatalities.

I leave the range as per our usual route. At the point where the dirt road ends and the tar road begins the story get interesting. Traffic is pretty heavy and the tar road is narrow I wait for a gap to pull onto the road, when suddenly I see an oncoming car pull off and stop in a flurry of dust about 5 meters from me. For a second or two I think it is our friend who was delayed, but I do not recognise the shape of the vehicle. Its lights are in my eyes and not recognizing the vehicle. I throw the car into reverse and flip my lights on to bright and light up a White Ford Ranger, unmarked, with a canopy. The others car hazard lights come on.

I see what looks like a uniform. I too put my hazards on and dip my lights and then exit my car. Quickly. (No I could not pull onto the Tar road due the traffic) I am extremely jumpy. I step to the side of my vehicle and 5 police officers approach me in an extended line one of them identifies himself by his name and that he is from SAPS. He is more to the right of the other cops. My mind is racing. I have read too many stories of fake cops. One cop has a 870, another an R5 or R6 the rest have pistols. The cop approaches me and asks if I have firearms in the car.

My alarm bells are ringing. I truly am expecting the worst. Against my will I reply that I have one on my hip. I cannot remember the exact sequence of events, I think he reached for it first. I said to him I would take it out of the holster and hand it to him. He said no he would take it. I again insisted that I would do so and he said “No!” stood behind me (My arms were partially raised) and lifted it out of the holster. Honestly I thought I was going to be shot. I twisted around to monitor him with my gun. He unloaded it and looked at the hollow points.

Without the use of expletives: Being disarmed is a really bad sinking feeling! He asked for my licence and I said to them that I was reaching for my wallet. After some digging in my wallet I found my licence and handed it to him (My reading glasses are in the vehicle) He remains behind me stooping into the beams of the headlights, so that he can try match the numbers. He declares that it is not the correct licence. I am more than scared and jumpy at this point. I ask/tell the cops that I am reaching into my pocket for my EDC torch.

I cannot remember if I hand over the torch or if I light up the licence and the pistol. After a while the officer acknowledges that the pistol matches the licence. Somehow I notice that he is displaying a lot of interest in my “Hollow Points” (Can guess what is coming……?) I am then told that the HP’s are illegal. I honestly cannot believe what I am hearing. This is the stuff that I have read about and other unfortunate souls have experienced, yet now it is happening to me! At this point psychologically I have had enough, and get an idea that perhaps the cops are perhaps who or what they say they are: SAPS on patrol. I then quite firmly explain to them that HP are not illegal for civilians, but that they are for SAPS. I add that it is quite sad as it denies SAPS the tool to deal with shootouts. After a few minutes of “Hollow points are legal/ Hollow points are illegal” I must have convinced the 5 of them as my GLOCK is handed back, slide locked back, mag out minus the chambered round.

For some reason I do not load up immediately: Prudence or stupidity? Then I am told that my OWB holster has to be in IWB holster. Again irritated but a bit more confident that I am not going to be shot I inform that the GLOCK has to be covered not concealed and that a jersey covering the holster and the GLOCK are sufficient to meet the FCA.

They accep t this. I am then questioned as the retention of the holster. I demonstrate by raising and lowering the GLOCK in holster hearing the comforting sound of kydex on it. It is then agreed that the holster does retain correctly. I am then accused of being under the influence. I again state that I had told them earlier that I had consumed a beer when they had asked me.

Then I am accused of handling a firearm whilst under the influence, again I reply that I am not under the influence AND if I did handle the firearm it was under their instruction AND that I was the one who had pointed out that I had gun on my hip when they had asked about guns in my car. I emphasise that I have co-operated with them throughout. This carries on for a while and I say that if they are convinced of this they must do what they must do.

I also encourage them to contact some of the local Community Police who could confirm my story as to my identity and what I was doing at the time. After what feels like minute of silence the policeman who appeared in charge and had disarmed me said “Ok” and said I could go. Feeling relived I invited them to look at some of the honeycomb in the rear of my car (Stupid/unnecessary in hindsight.) They had a look and then seemed even more satisfied with my story.

4 of the 5 Policeman (2 Females and 3 Males) walk back to their vehicle. One of the males came back and told me that he had lost his torch. He had spotted my headlamp lying near the honey in my boot.

To be honest, I said he could take it.

So….the results for me where:
1. I was badly shaken.

2. The loss of 1 HP and the headlamp.

I have a bit more to say on the subject since the time has elapsed, however I might say it in a different thread, suffice to say I am posting this that you may learn from it. As from my perspective it could have gone very very wrong. (No doubt my perception of the SAPS did nothing to help my cause. However I do not believe it be un-justified. However in life that is how it goes, we will always be victims of our stereotypes whether they are informed or not.) I intend to post this on other internet forums for the reasons stated above.

If the story can be told from the cops perspective.

They stopped a vehicle in an area that has presently seen lots of crime. Possibly they linked my vehicle to the farmer who owns the same vehicle. The time of night was also "dodgy hour" during a weeknight and an officer did identify himself. The way they stopped de-bussed from the vehicle and fanned out was also correct if they were in fact looking for a suspect? The officer also disarmed me, without pointing me etc. Would you let a suspect touch his hand over his own gun?

All well and good so far.

Bottom line: From my perspective is that because of MY perception of the police and the fact the general violent crime rate my nerves were strung out! Obviously the police cannot (yet) read our minds yet this would have played a massive role in my fight or flight response. Looking back two parts of the initial encounter stand out for me: When the police vehicle stopped its hazard lights came on. If it was a deception it was a good one as it gave me pause as to my next action. When I saw a figure dressed in blue after exiting the vehicle this gave me further pause as to whether this was an attack or not. From then on it was (as previously stated) my perception of the SAPS that kept my nerves taught. Except for unmarked vehicle and the ignorance of the law on the questions mentioned, the Cops did everything right. My loss of trust in the SAPS could have been fatal. This is the point of this post. Do not become a victim of your stereotypes or perception.

I nearly was.

BUG OUT

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 08:12:37 GMT

I grabbed my Bug Out Bag

It was still dark when I grabbed my Bug Out Bag from the back of my car.

Time 0500.

Bag weighed about 15kg. I had not checked the contents for months……

And that was the point of the exercise. To test my own preparation for a just in case scenario. I work about 30km from home, and with all the student protest, infrastructure decay and of course notorious Gauteng traffic, it is not inconceivable that I would have to walk home.

In fact, many South Africans walk 5km or more to work and school every day.

Also: working for TheQuarterMaster.co.za customers often ask for advice about Get Home/Bug Out and First Responder bags. It would be in a sense a test of advice that I had read and also given.

My objective was to walk to my shooting range AKA Funky Town home of SAS.

According to Google it was about 30km distant. I had no idea how long it would take given the distance and my own physical condition, which to be brutally honest was not great. I am unfit and overweight.

Nonetheless it was a challenge which I looked forward to.

To complete the scenario, I was wearing the safety boots that I would normally wear to work.

So, what was in my bag you ask?

4x500ml bottles of water

30mx10mm Rope

A mess kit

Emergency Stove & fuel tablets

Single meals

Flameless Ration Heaters

soak-it's

Gun cleaner

Jet flame lighter

Drimac jacket with hood

Solar charger

Extra 9mm Ammo

Anytone 3318 Dual Band radio

The only addition to the load out was a spare battery forthe 3318 and of course a cell phone and a GPS. (To verify my trip)

The route however would be as different in geography as it was long. The route from work is entirely on tarred road and Urban for the most part. Today’s route would be through trackless veld and dirt road.

Over the years I had completed the route on quadbike so I was confident of not getting lost. However, I had made arrangements with Plaashaas who gleefully awaited my call for him to 'Extract' me.

But there was another purpose: Having recently become a licenced amateur radio operator I also wanted to make use of the dual band and repeater set up to make comms with PlaasHaas.

I would also 'Drop pins' from google maps on WhatsApp so we could verify distances and locations if anything would go awry.

I donned the jacket from the Bag and set off. It was cold and chilly late September morning about an hour before sunrise.

I cannot remember the phase of the moon, but it was light enough to walk however I did need my EDC torch when I had to cross two unpleasant smelling ditches.

Soon I was in the veldt, crossed a major road, passed a cemetery when the sun made its daily appearance from the east. It’s pretty uneventful and pleasant to be up and about at this time of the day.

I crossed the fast-flowing Klipriver and was crossing a large field when Plaashaas made contact on the UHF channel. Being rather new to this I am mindful of correct radio procedure etc. It really was great to be able to make contact without the use of a Cell phone.

Not having had anything to eat and getting quite hot I stopped for a break about 2.5hours/9km into the walk.

Plaashaas then sent me co-ordinates and a compass bearing for a short cut to FunkyTown. For the life of me I could not get it keyed into google maps, so decided to use the GPS. Even this was a chore, as the last time I had used it was about 3 years ago and had to quickly re-learn the contextual menus. I managed this and saw that I had 7km before I got to it.

I then hit a dirt road and had the pleasure of seeing a herd of Springbok. I had now entered an area that had a series of kopjes (hills) that interfered with comms on the repeater we were using. We switched over to a simplex frequency (Direct radio to radio) I was pleased that we were able to make contact via this method, as Plaashaas is in the process of assisting locals set up a radio network for farm security in the area.

After another 1 or 2 stops I was at the waypoint. Well not exactly. A GPS co-ord from Google Earth does not exactly translate into a precise location on a GPS. I was probably within 100m of it, but being familiar with the area I was then able to navigate on a compass bearing until I came into familiar territory. It was after 11:00 and the sun was beating down. I was walking with my shirt unbuttoned and had consume 2 ½ bottles with 500ml of water remaining. My legs were very saw and my soles painful. It was hot

Nonetheless I was happy with my progress. Comms with Plaashaas were now out of radio comms due to geography and the fact that he was mobile, losing the height advantage of the SAS Radio/aerial. I kept looking for shade to stop but there was very little and with the extremely hot dry wind, I was tiring.

At about 12h00 Plaashaas had driven too high ground and we regained comms. Using the strobe function on our torches we were able to signal our location to each other. It was quite amazing that at the brightest part of the day being able to use our torches to signal over a distance of about 2km!
Earlier in the day Plaashaas had convinced me to change my destination with the promise of ice-cold beer if I could make it.

The last 90 minutes were really tough. As My feet were aching and stiff. I had to be careful not to twist my ankles on tuft of burn grass and stones. Finally, I could hear the shooting at Funky Town: Music to my ears! Just over this rise I though then I would see the range flags! But it was not to be that simple: I had a further two blind rises to cross before the familiar sight was observed.

I should have approached from the north, but due to poor decisions on my part I ended walking about an additional 1.5km approaching from the east.

Must say it was nice to take a moment now and then to lookback of the distance travelled! It is quiet rewarding. The vehicles were insight and seeing my buddies in the distance was a real boost and I tried not to limp to much as I got closer. Box strapped a purple smoke generator to the flagpole and activated it as approached the finish line, for me it was a very personal achievement finishing the walk in a haze of smoke.

But the day was not finished: Box Had brought his 50 Cal Truvelo to the range and I was able to shoot 3 shots from 300m! This followed by some cold beers made it an awesome day: think about it, in which country can you walk 27km without trespassing and do some shooting and then have some cold beers?

Lessons learnt:

My cell phone battery died after about 6 hours and I could not find the re-charging cable. I had about a mouthful of water left out of two litres. Whilst I had urinated earlier in the day, once I was well underway I had no water left to pass as my body was sweating it out.

My knowledge of the route/area gave me confidence in taking shortcuts. Comms worked well and I am certain that I could have communicated with any other licenced amateur should the need have arisen.

Some of the gear in my bag was perhaps superfluous for this walk, however, if I ever had to do the real thing (Next challenge) it might just come in handy, so no major gear changes for me.

Get fitter…..it’s always on my to do list: If I could sell it in a pill form I would not need to win the lotto. There is no substitute for staying in shape and there are no short cuts either.

ANOTHER BL**PING BUG OUT WALK.

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 07:38:02 GMT

So, it I thought: I‘m going to walk home from here!

So, it I thought: I‘m going to walk home from here! The time is 16:25 on an early winter’s afternoon in Johannesburg. Ahead lay a walk of close to 13 km and the sun would be setting in about an hour or so. It was already chilly, temperature dropping quickly as the sun approached the horizon.

So what’s the big deal?

In 2016 I did a bug out to test whether my Bug Out Bag/Get home Bag would actually help or hinder me in walking 27km. By my account it was successful. However; I had this nagging feeling that perhaps it was not as “real” as it should have been. You see my bag was packed I had pre-planned my route AND determined the time when I would walk it. A big factor in a bug out or get home scenario is Timing and Location. It is the unknown. You will not know when (Time) or where (Location) you will be when you are to make the decision to walk home. Bluntly put, you will be forced to make a decision based on you situation. This may be a civil disaster, traffic jam, flood, riot or simply running out of fuel.

Thus after my Bug out in 2016 I had been looking for an opportunity to do a “surprise” bug out. However only Schizophrenic sufferers are able to plan a surprise party for themselves and pull it off. I had the option of requesting friend to literally collect me from the office or home and then drop me off at a location in a time unknown.

However this never materialised until a few days ago when I went to drop off my vehicle for its service. To get home I would need a family member to collect me, and, as they were busy it would inconvenience them. Then the though came to mind: Well Camo, now is your opportunity to bug out.

Perfect I thought! Distance was about 12km and it would be primarily along tarred roads and pavements so it should be a piece of cake. I booked my vehicle in at the Rosettenville Dealership and then retrieved my Bug-Out-Bag. Immediately the first problem presented itself: I had my Bug out Bag as well as my Lap top bag to carry. There was no way the lap top would be abandoned. It simply was not an option.

I thus removed some rope from my Bug Out Bag. Similarly I left my axe, bolt cutters, spade and a host of other smaller items in the car. My Bugout bag weighed in at 9kg, the laptop at about 7kg. Before setting off I took a bunch of water sachets or “Boebies” and stuffed them into my pockets as well as a battery to charge my cell phone. I set off with the Bug out Bag slung on my back and the Laptop Bag carried on my chest. 9 kg on my back, 7kg on my Chest and stomach a total 16kg on my feet.

What was I wearing? Essentially office work clothes. Slip on ankle boots, jeans, shirt with collar and a sports jacket. Due to a cut that had inflicted on the palm of my right hand a week earlier I was wearing a buff on my wrist over my palm to protect the cut whilst it healed. Ironically the buff would prove to be gold on the walk home. Thus unsuitably attired I set of at about 16:25 on a late May afternoon. The sun was going to set and the rush hour traffic was in full swing.

I had a sneaked a peak at google maps to confirm my route was sensible. Google gave me 3 options all within about 1 or 2km of each other in terms of distance to be travelled. I chose what I thought was the safest, primarily alongside tarred roads. I turned off the main road in Rosettenville and zig zagged my way through less busy back roads towards my first waypoint. It was a nice walk. The bags sat comfortably on my back and front.
Walking really does slow one pace both physically and mentally allowing one to notice what is going on around oneself, Mother collecting their kids from afterschool, kids playing soccer in the street, folks walking home with shopping bags, the smell of suppers cooking; generally a very peaceful scene

For the first 30 minutes I was hyper vigilant as to the possibility of being mugged. The way I was carrying my bags meant that I was not going to be able to outrun anyone. Fact is even without the bags I would not be able to. However as the reality of what I was doing set in I became more focused on putting one foot in front of the other, every now and then I would stop and glance back to check that all was ok.

Shortly I joined a main road which I had to use. Essentially it was one of 3 choke points that I had to transit to get home on this particular route. Each route I chosen had one of these and whilst it had not concerned me, if the situation was dire these choke point could make it impassable if they had been blocked.
No more was I in quiet back roads, the traffic was hectic and there were a lot of pedestrians walking home mainly in a direction toward me. As I walked noticed the litter and debris from car accidents strewn alongside the pavements. Quite depressing.

Crossing an intersection with the bags I was carrying proved to be an exercise in patience. No way was I going to be able to show a disregard for a red light, and frankly Gauteng traffic treats traffic lights as yield anyway. So patience waiting for the correct signal and a break in traffic was necessary. Would have been hilarious sight to get knocked over wearing the gear I was.

Reading the newspaper headlines plastered to the street poles: I chuckled when I saw the one read “The burden of Big Boobs” little did I know that I would be sympathising with that headline shortly.

Traffic was as hectic when I reached the top of what is a very steep hill. I guestimate that vertically the drop is about 135m over the distance of about 2.5km. There was no pavement to speak of and I was forced to cross the road and also walk on the island separating the lanes of traffic. Walking on uneven ground really sucks. Pretty soon the lap top bag on my front was burdening me pretty much as would big boobs or a pregnancy I suppose. Additionally the bag straps would keep slipping off. In the beginning it was a nuisance, eventually it was a major irritation.

At about 17:30 I made my first stop. Dropped a pin on WhatsApp so my family would know where to find my body if I did not make it. I swopped the bags around: the 9Kg Bug out Bag on my front and the Laptop bag on my back. Due to the style and width of the shoulder straps the Bug out Bag were less prone to slipping off. I had not realised it but the light was pretty dim. Passing vehicles had their head light on, those street lights that were working had switched on. I stopped again and took our my NiteCore NU30 Headlamp and NU05Headlamp (Yes I carry two Headlamps in my bag)

I strapped both to my head. One facing rearward set to flashing red and the other to the front, set to medium output and focused downwards so I could actually see where I was putting my feet. Whist the state of our roads generally is not good, it is way worse for pavements. They are uneven, littered, overgrown and at times dug up. If it were not for the Nitecore I would have planted my face into the pavement on more than one occasion. No jokes. At one point I was taking a short cut across a section of veldt to save time when an inter-link truck almost rode over me. I have no idea whether he saw me or not, but he pulled off the road either to pick someone up or sleepover for the night. Either way I almost had an 18 wheeler impressed upon my face

I then switched my Nitecore onto a high output. I had been well aware that my clothing and bags were dark, I just could not believe that now one sees flashing lights. I felt like a persecuted cyclist! Remember the buff I mentioned earlier: Well it was a life saver. As it got colder so did my head and face and ears. I then wore the buff on my head covering mouth. I must have looked a site with two flashing headlamps and my head swathed in fabric. Nonetheless it really worked. My head and ears were protected and warm.

Finally after about 3 hours I got home at 19:30. I had drank about 4 x150 “boebies” (750ml) and was knackered. Compared to the bug out I had done in 2016 it was a lot tougher. Probably a combination of the extra weight and my less than ideal physical condition. So to sum up it was pretty uneventful although tougher than the 27km event I had done before: However I do believe that some important lessons were learnt.

Unless artillery, rioters, Gas, Fire or floodwaters are bearing down on you; one will not easily abandon ones vehicle or its contents. Yes it may be insured, but we capitalist’s do not like to throw away stuff we have worked hard for. You will have to decide what you can and cannot carry. This is going to depend entirely on your situation, physical condition and route.

Footwear: Hiking with the wrong footwear is a recipe for a disaster and will probably debilitate you for the next few days. Abandoning your vehicle is usually not the best idea especially in a lost in the bundu situation. Your car can protect you against the elements, sleep in it and be much more comfortable than sleeping under a bush. Walking a long route home is not always sensible. Check your route, perhaps you have friend, family, church or work colleagues that could offer sanctuary. A small child or someone wearing heels is going to seriously disrupt your plans for hiking.

CAMINO! FOUR FRIENDS. 240 KILOMETERS. 8 DAYS

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 15:45:24 GMT

Written by Pilgrim Pretorius

Three friends and I planned to do part of the Portuguese Camino over Easter time 2018

The route was from the Portuguese city, Porto, all the way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, ending our 240 kilometer journey in the Chapel of Santiago on Easter Sunday.

According to the author of our guidebook, “A Pilgrims guide to the Camino Portugués” by John Brierley, there are many pilgrim paths to Santiago but none is more significant and soulful than the Camino Portugués.

They say if you have to walk far, pack light. This sounds simple enough but imagine four girlfriends, it is just the beginning of the European Spring and temperatures are only touching double digits with the rain season in full swing. But if you have to pack light, pack clever!

TheQuarterMaster helped me to kit out my backpack with all the essentials I might need during this journey. I made space for my “Survival pouch” which the other three girlfriends found really amusing, joking about my ‘MacGyver bag’

But the laughing was quickly replaced with thankfulness as we used every single item Camo advised me to pack!

In my survival pouch were the following items

550 Paracord (30m)
Aqua Salveo Water Disinfectant 10ml
Medium Honey Badger opener Knife (Camo sharpened it for me prior to departure)
Vital Protection AM2 220ml
Soak-It Eco Wet Wipes
Duct tape
N3 LED torch lighter
NiteCore NU05 Headlamp

I will try and explain why these items were so helpful during our 240km trip.

Day one was the toughest of all, in some mysterious way we misread the distance in our guidebook and ended up walking 38 kilometers on the first day. I think the initial idea was to walk about 12km less. (I am saying mysterious because we all know that girls are good at reading maps!)

We entered our Albergue (hostels along the route) just as the sun was setting down over the lively town of Barcelos.

All was lively but for the four South African pilgrims. We were done for!

But having only two sets of clothing we knew we had to wash our hiking outfit and get it dry before 06:00 the next morning.

Luckily for us, most of the hostels had a heating system of sorts in the rooms and we could set up a handy washing line, (using the Paracord, cutting it to length with the Honeybadger Opener Knife) next to the heater. This was the standard procedure for the next few days as we made our way to Santiago. My Honeybadger knife would also slice bread, carve cheese, stick olives and peel oranges along the way….

The Soak-It Eco Wet Wipes also replaced my sponge and was a great way of washing in the evenings and not have the hassle of a big sponge or soggy face cloth in my toiletry bag.

Day two started early, the NiteCore NU05 Headlamp guided our way through the dark and extensive market square of Barcelos.

As the sun was rising over the landscape we were already following the Camino signs towards Pont de Lima.

According to our guidebooks, this is the longest and the most beautiful stage of the Camino. But with only 30kilometers to do, it seems like childs’ play given our previous days’ hike! After a beautiful hike through the river valleys of Neiva and Lima we decided to book into an Albergue a few kilometers before the town “Pont de Lima”.

We knocked on the door of a retired Dutchman home, on a hill that overlooks a picturesque village next to a beautiful bubbling stream. The only available accommodation was in a stone cottage on the grounds but there wasn’t any central heating in the ice-cold stone cottage. Luckily the cottage had a small fireplace and TheQuarterMaster made me travel with the N3 LED torch/lighter. We soon made a cozy fire, played Foosball, drank some of the local Port until it was sleeping time.

Day three was the shortest distance according to our guidebook. But by now we all know when something seems too good to be true, it usually is. The mere 18 kilometers includes a hike over the top of the Alto de Portela Grande mountain, the steepest accumulative climb with limited facilities!

At the top of the mountain, that we realized we finished all of our drinking water during the climb and have nothing left for the descent….

Exhausted from the never ending climb our only option was to get water from an overflowing dam and having our Aqua Salveo Water Disinfectant, we could treat the water and have enough for our journey downhill. A tummy bug at this stage of our Camino would have been disastrous!

So far, we were lucky in booking private rooms in the Albuerges’ along the Camino.

By the end of day 3 marked the first time we had to bunk in a dormitory room, in a small Albeurge, a traditional stone family house in the town of Rubiáes.

We’ve only heard about bed bugs along the way and although the facility was really neat, we didn’t want to take the chance of waking up with bed bugs. So, we used the bottle of Vital Protection from TheQuarterMaster to spray our beds, bags and tracking suit for a peaceful nights’ rest.

Day four we crossed over the border into Spain, through the historic old walled town of Valenca into Tui.

It would also be the first time that we use our yellow roll of duct tape to strap the one pilgrims foot, who is now walking with excruciating pain, coming from her Achilles heel. (It helps if one of your fellow pilgrims is a physiotherapist).

The Duct tape also strap toes together to prevent blisters as we are now walking in constant rain and friction inside your damp boots is inevitable.

And so, the journey continues for the next four days: Tui-> Redondela-> Pontevedra-> Caldas de Reis-> Padron-> Santiago, through vineyards, along highways, over miles of cobblestone. We braved ice rain, wind, lightning and sore legs but we arrived in time for the Sunday morning pilgrim service in the Cathedral of Santiago. The highlight of the service being the swinging of the giant incense burner!

If you ever have the time, do yourself a favor and undertake one of the ways to Santiago.

But remember to take a “survival bag” with you. The right gear can make the journey so much easier!

Thank you TheQuarterMaster for being such an important part of my Camino Portugués journey!

Pilgrim Pretorius

CUSTOMER TALES VOL 2 - THE DOOR GUNNER

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 15:36:23 GMT

On social media we often hear the term “Door Gunner”.

It conjures scene of a Huey Helicopter flying over Vietnam, quite possibly accompanied by the sound track of “Paint it Black” by the ‘Stones or “Fortunate son” by CCR.

An exciting scene as Hollywood would have us believe, that is if you are not a Vietnamese on the ground.

This customer needed modifications made to his rig in order to accommodate the larger size of his Magazines for his rifle. When I asked him what it was for, without skipping a beat, he said “I am the door gunner”.

I think I spewed a bit of coffee over my keyboard when he said that.

Obviously he now had my attention and I gave the logical answer, “What!” I am not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to laws and was intrigued. His explanation was simple. He was part of an Anti-Poaching operation somewhere south of the Zambesi.

It was explained to me that their ‘çopter had often been fired upon by poachers. Such a situation is most unnerving to say the least and at best gets one an exhilarating helicopter flight.

I was relieved to hear that in non-war situations normal morality and laws still applied, it is still illegal to simply gun someone down from out of a side door of a chopper.

On getting fired upon he would then reply with “7.62x51”Loudspeak!

As an aside: I am in the fortunate position to still have a good friend who has been in no less than 3 helicopter crash landings. The one time it was a caused by doppie that was inhaled by the helicopter jet turbine intake. Needless to say he got a sound thrashing from the pilot once on the ground and the blades stopped topped spinning. Shooting from the air in a helli is a complicated business

Here is a tip that was shared with me for when you hit the ground hard in a helicopter: Do not get out until the blades have all stopped moving. If all you can see is flames, you might have to decide otherwise. If the pilot is moering you, you caused the hard landing.

But I digress; Still, the fact that civilians are having to act as door gunners, is indicative of the rot that permeates our broader society. Let’s hope that no one has to be killed to protect our endangered wild life. A bloke who puts himself in harm’s way both physically and legally to protect what is his, does say something about his commitment to protecting his own.

Well we certainly hope that our customers Stay Safe. Africa is not for sissies and the good guys are going to need gear and TheQuarterMaster is ready to do just that: Supply the Good Guys with Good Gear.

CUSTOMER TALES III - CHASSIS TIME

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 14:24:04 GMT

When there is a shortage of a particular truck chassis in South Africa, it requires some real “Boer maak-a-plan” ingenuity to replace them, as our manufacturing sector cannot provide them anymore. In this case our persistent customer told me that he needed to get a certain chassis for a certain model truck as they no were no longer made in ZAR.

(Honestly I cannot recall the exact model truck etc. I also want to protect the customer by not giving out details that could compromise his business).

He had an idea of an old battlefield up north, across from a river that he knew there were ranks of parked trucks that he needed the chassis from. BUT he also knew he would need to get permission to get into the old war zone and then get to the right person to close the deal.

So off he set with a passport and the necessary visa’s to legally cross international borders. Additionally and probably more importantly, he carried the currency of Africa: Cooler box’s filled with beer and meat.

Crossing a few borders legally, he soon ended up in some thick bush following a track pointed out to him by some laughing border guards. Clearly he was in a no man’s land governed by bandits or guerrillas depending on your view point. Getting things mixed up here would ensure that your corpse would be picked clean by Vultures and Jackals and no one back home would ever know. Simply stepping or driving off the track could result in a landmine detonation, not to mention that this was big five country with all the other critters that rule Africa not least the Anopheles Mosquito.

Within a day or two he came upon a “checkpoint” (essentially a tree trunk on a hinge that acted as a boom across the tracks he was following) guarded by two individuals whose clothing needed replacement long ago and a bath even before that.

The only thing that exceeded our brave traveler’s nervous state was the incredulity of the guardians of the boom upon seeing a civilian vehicle approach and then be spoken to by a white bloke asking about trucks. (Yes he spoke there lingo).

Armed with the ubiquitous AK47, the guardians of the boom must have been puzzled out of their bored minds. Can you imagine sitting on track surrounded by MMBA (Miles and Miles of Bloody Africa) where not 20 years before, the area was a hot spot in the Cold War. Now it was just hot and boring.

But not today. Expressing his desire to get in and chat to the "Bossman", our traveler was told to turn around and not come back.

Most of us would have turned around. The AK 47’s can be quite a motivator. However not our traveler. He turned back on the track and after a certain distance set up camp and then performed the most South African of rituals: He Braai’d. Jip, he set up a small camp careful to avoid land mines and over the next few days braai’d and tried not to drink all the beer.

Eventually the guardians of the boom, enticed by the smell of roasting meat, came to the camp. Over the next week or so a relationship was created, which after a time allowed him to drive to an old guerrilla base camp.

No doubt, negotiations were carried out alongside or at least concluded with a braai. A price was struck and our traveler set out for an uneventful trip home.

Once home he got himself a huge army surplus recovery truck, prepped it out with all that he would need and a flatbed truck or two.

The salvage operation up north went on without a hitch until one of the locals started screaming and gesticulating like crazy to him: He had just driven into a mine field!

What to do? He could not reverse out of the danger zone. What to do?

Well, he thought, this is it and then drove the shortest possible route back onto the track.

Fortune favours the brave, but luck is great lady to have as a friend too!

He made it home safely and is pleased to be living happily ever after.

Speaking of Landmines:

Imagine the scene: You are ploughing your field (on land that an African Government has leased to you) and an object comes to the surface.

Usually it is encased in mud and thoroughly corroded. The shape is usually round but rectangular is found. Ball shaped sizes are also not uncommon.

Farming with landmines on your land is just one more hazard that could shuffle you off this mortal coil in the blink of an eye. Africa is not for sissies.

In this particular case I was horrified by my customer telling me this story. I asked him what the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) was in such an event.

Well, he explained, you report it to the local police who are meant to mark off the location and keep all and sundry away from it, ‘til the experts arrived.

EOD I suppose.

They would then do a controlled detonation. Now I am not exactly sure what happens if you blow up something that is designed to blown up, but, I can only imagine that you end up with a crater of varying sizes in your field but (hopefully) without casualties.

Eventually my customer told me the landmines were being ploughed up regularly and eventually they got so irritated with having to wait for the experts, that they would place (I do not want to be reckless and use the word toss) the object on the side of the field.

Using my sense of humorous imagination I can only think of the reaction of the experts upon arriving and being pointed to a corroding pile of land mines sitting under the hot African sun waiting to be destroyed. The controlled detonation must have been epic.

I can only imagine the chagrin of the farmer and his staff as they now have a really large crater to fill in.

Whatever your adventure may be: www.thequartermaster.co.za is here to supply good gear to the Good Guys and Girls of Southern Africa to survive and thrive in beautiful Africa.

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#39 The Chicken, the Pasta and the Vegetables.

Yummy Tummy

# 37 Cold Clammy Shock

#36 Palms Greased

#35 Fingers, Nails 'n Teeth

#34 The Great Trek Bug Out

#34 The Great Trek Bug Out

#33 Wet Wet Wet

#32 TwoOh24 Here we go!

#31 Christmas 20TwoThree

#30 Hard Ware

#29 Re-Load

#28 Logistics Wins Wars

#27 No Kill Self Defence

#26 Shelter not Comfort

#25 Knot Knowledge

#24 Look-See

#23 AR vs AK

#23 AR vs AK

#22 Creepy Critters

#22 Creepy Critters

#21 While You Are Unaware

While You Are Unaware

Here is a short clip of the Skunk Pepper Spray Alarm in action!

#20 Stuff You Need: Right! Now!

#20 Stuff you Need: Right! Now!

#19 Gear you should not need

#19 Gear you should not need

#18 Angry Portable Pixies

#18 Angry Portable Pixies

#17 The Mission: What Bag?

#17 The Mission: What Bag?

#16 Lite Light

#16 Lite Light

#15 Re-Load

#15 Re-Load

#14 Roots

#14 Roots

#13 Bang-Stick-Maintenance

#13 Bang-Stick-Maintenance

#12 Burn

#12 Burn

#11 Sleep

#11 Sleep

#10 Blood

#10 Blood

#9 Get Knotted

#9 Get Knotted

#8 Get Lost

#7 More Customer Tales

#7 More Customer Tales

#6 Defend Thy-Self

#6 Defend Thy-Self

#5 Stuff You Can Not Buy, Stuff I Can't Sell

The Ultimate Guide to Pepper Sprays:
Usage, Laws & Maintenance | TheQuarterMaster

The Ultimate Guide to Pepper Sprays:
Your Essential Self-Defence Tool