First episode of 30CalGal TV with Anette Wachter: BladeTech

A few months back, I filmed with Anette Wachter at Boomershoot 2012. I was stoked when she approached me with the idea of starting a series that goes into the factories and companies of the great companies in the Northwest which cater to the tactical and shooting world.

Out first stop was Blade Tech. I was surprised to hear they were so close to home (not more than an hour away), and I even own one of their earlier knives with a milled carbon fiber handle, which is the only knife I own with S30V super steel. That's a whole other thing all together, as they are mostly known for their injection molded and thermoplastic products. There are a lot of "kydex" companies out there, but not many do it like this.

Lessons learned while doing this project:
Keep my jaw from hanging, haha. No, but I think in future I think I will compose this to be made up in different shots, instead of one continuous shot. Not that it doesn't work this way, because you really feel like you're on the tour wish us, but it can get lengthy. Also, this is a perfect opportunity to start using my steadicam again. It's heavy, bulky, but it will smooth things out for production. All in all, Anette did a great job, and our tour guide Ryan from Blade Tech did a kick ass job, and really knew his stuff.

All in all, I was really impressed with their manufacturing process and attention to detail, and can't wait for our next assignment.

Take care out there- Andy

Eberlestock Halftrack Backpack Review (Video)

If you're looking for a midsized backpack, built to take the abuse with a ton of practical features, look no further. I've been looking for a backpack to fill the need for a light backpacking pack, and a system to carry my load while at work. Its internal frame, built in organization, and mole throughout make it an ALMOST perfect backpack (read below).

This pack has plenty of room, and it has an attractive price compared to other eberlestock packs which often reach above 300USD$.

Check out this pack and others at Eberlestock.com

NOT a sponsored video. These thoughts are my own, and it was bought online for 200$.

The good:
- Large enough for a 3-5 day backpacking trip
- 1000 denier material won't let me down when carrying gun or camera stuff.
- MOLLE webbing inside and out to organize, and carry more.
- Tunnel sleeves are sweet for my small tripods, or trekking poles.
- Harness is airy and comfortable.
- Reinforced and padded waist belt coupled with lumbar support kept weight off my shoulders and was comfortable after long hikes.
- Removable rainfly in case of damage.
- Antenna port is good for electronics, or if running extra batteries on an ENG camera, you can store batteries inside the brain or main compartment.

The Bad:
- Still pricy, but you get what you pay for.
- Their "Coyote Brown" is not the US military's "Coyote Brown". It is a bit darker than my plate carrier, and accessory pouches. Not a bad thing per se, but it is a bit annoying at first.
- Rainfly will not accomodate much more than the pack itself, and it's "Lightweight" material does not hold up well to mountain hiking in the Pacific Northwest. I already tore an inch long hole in it my first outing. It's replaceable though, so you can easily repair, replace, or upgrade.

If you are a company wishing to send products for review, please contact me at: Andy.InnerBark@gmail.com

Music by: Incompetech.com

November 2012 Update

Face Bleed :(

Nobody makes me bleed my own blood...except for me. On Tuesday I went to go film and take photos of Tannerite for their marketing stuff, and since I can't take photos and shoot guns at the same time and since everyone I know has a "normal" day job; I had to devise a way to do it all by myself.

This goes back to my youth when I was super into remote control planes and whatnot. I had my radio system still, and figured it'd do me good for this project.

I put down a gaffers tape foundation to make sure I didn't ruin the servo or stock, then I hot glued the two together. The trigger mechanism is just a small length of military trip wire I had in my kit. I don't have a bench rest rig, so I used my badger bone for support which did alright up until you pull the trigger, and the rifle knocks itself over. No big deal.

Anywho. After a lot of really cool photos, I wanted to blow some stuff up at 500 yards. Since I'm a righty, and the servo was on the left, it got in the way of my face, and guess who won!..the servo...

Boomershoot Video #2

Little late to the punch, but ESS released the 2nd video I did for the Boomershoot. This video focuses on the long range aspect of the event, which Annette Wachter (aka 30CalGal) excels at on the US Rifle Team.

After meeting with her and working with her on this project, she has asked me to help her out on a really cool project, where she visits and tours companies in the tactical and shooting industries in the Pacific Northwest. We just filmed a tour of Blade-Tech, and it blows my mind how much work, detail, and skill that goes into what seems like a simple product (more soon).

Trail clean up

Few days ago I decided to do my first full on trail clean up. I was inspired/motivated to do this after I was on a hike with my mum, and noticed a lot of rubbish on the side of the trail. On the way home after that trip I remember complaining about it... and then I thought to myself. "well shit, somebody has gotta do it". Being an owner of the Discovery Pass (so I don't gotta pay to park), and an owner of a large supply of trash bags, I decided to roll up my sleeves and do mother nature a solid.

I discovered a few things in the 2 mile trail.
1) People tend to lose disposable water bottles (full of water)
2) Empty water bottles easily find their way on the downslope of trails
3) People who walk their dogs, pick up the poop, and then THROW THE BAG OFF THE TRAIL...are retarded (pardon my french).
4) Bits of micro trash can really ruin a perfect setting.

I was surprised to see very few alcohol related trash items, but the amount of candy wrappers and junk food wrappers was foreseeable. Out of all non water beverages, it seemed that Vitamin Water was on top, with Gatorade being a close second, followed by beer (even found some live cans) and Arizona tea.

With the thousands of visitors who come to Twin Falls every year it stays relatively clean, and I understand most people don't deposit trash maliciously. Having a water bottle like a nalgene not only gets rid of the disposable bottles, but its larger size is more suited for backpack pockets and are harder to lose. A simple shovel is useful for burying dog poop, but human poop as well. Resealable bags are the best for bringing snacks because you can re use them or repurpose them for survival. Very inexpensive and very effective things also reduce your footprint.

(These guys made it easy for me to get to since its just inches off the trail)

I do it because it bothered me, and its a problem that won't fix itself. These trails aren't just in a state park, its in our back yard. These rivers bring water to our tap, and lead into the oceans that feed us.

BOOMERSHOOT part 1

First off I'd like to thank ESS for giving me the opportunity to blow up their eyewear, and otherwise torture test it for myself. Truly a company that stands behind their product. While not bullet PROOF they are definitely fragment resistant (shotgun blasts, 22 shorts, Tannerite®) and surpass mil-spec. I wear them whenever I am around firearms, in woods, or whenever the sun decides to show up in Seattle.

The first video is up from the BOOMERSHOOT event which I was invited to film earlier this year. This is only the fist video in a series of 5. Most of which takes place in Orofino, ID, and the rest was filmed in the Seattle area. The videos revolve around 2 gals, Anette Wachter (30calgal, National Rifle Team) and Shelley Rae (West Coast Shooting journal, gun writer) and their experience at Boomershoot. It's unscripted, and packed full of action. Just the way I like it. Enjoy!

Midweek camping trip

Yesterday I had to do a couple video projects out in the woods, which all took some time. Instead of going back and forth, I decided to just camp out. 

I started out by finishing a video using Tannerite®. I previously made a video showing how Tannerite® will not cause a fire by blowing up a gallon of gasoline. I just went back to blow up another gallon for slow motion :)

After filming that stuff which was pretty straight forward, I took out my trusty rake, shovel, and magnet doohicky to clean up...well...the rake wasn't too reliable. It ended up breaking at the end. I'll replace it with a dead cedar sapling though. After I cleaned this first site up, I cleaned up around the creek bank I was camping at. All in all it was 2 full sized garbage bags full. 

When I went to fetch some water from a nearby creek, something caught my eye down the embankment. It was a mountain bike! I put the truck in park and weaseled my way down. it was STEEP. I picked it up and it seemed to be in OK shape. I pedaled it around a bit to make things go by faster when not in the truck.

Later on the next day I filmed my test video for about.com to try my luck at being a video producer for them. Crossing the fingers!

My day ran a bit long after I wrapped filming. I stopped by the ranger station to deposit the rubbish in their dumpster. The gal at the desk was confused at first, since I wasn't with an organization, but I got approval to use their dumpster none the less. Note to self: Use heavy duty bags or buckets next time. One of the bags ripped completely in my truck. HUGE MESS!

After I was done with the ranger station, I went to the sherifs office to report the bike. The serial numbers are filed off of it so I'm sure someone wants it back... Hope they claim it within the next 30 days :)

Anywho. That was my Thursday/Friday in the office. Wish all days were like this!

VIDEO: Tannerite and Gasoline

I've been using Tannerite explosive targets for a while now, in both forested mountain areas, and desert environments. I have never caused a fire using real tannerite (there are fakes out there). Other companies use impure ammonium nitrate and weird additives to their mix which in turn makes sparks, heat, and wildfires. Tannerite is the high quality stuff, which means it doesn't start fires (and it has actually been known to blow out fires).

I'll blow up a gallon of gasoline in this video to show you it won't turn into a fireball. If it can't catch gas on fire, it surely won't catch grass on fire.

My Roots

A little about myself. Born and raised in Seattle, WA. A first generation Asian American but was raised all American. My parents figured that it was more important for me to learn to work with my hands and survive than speak Vietnamese, haha!

The outdoors is my background. I started rock climbing when I was 8, Hiking when I was 9, and Mountain Biking when I was 14. Most of my developing years was fatherless, so I learned from many teachers which gave me a wide understanding of nature.

I went to school originally to study BioTechnology, and I got good grades but I was glued to the camera, and went to film school directly after graduation. My direction was mainly documentary at first... Then action sports... and now I have broadened my range to go back to my roots.

First post

Hey everybody,

This is my first post on this blog. This is where you will find my new videos, happenings, and travel/behind the scene photos, as well as links to the products I use when I am in the woods, or behind the camera.

Take care out there,
Andy