Drinking From the Firehose 2: The Mudening

[Miller]

So after my first Appleseed as an IIT at Shenandoah for Patriot's Weekend I posted a thread offering a few observations on the experience and a few thanks.  My first 'seed as a hat and I arrived with PC in hand and admittedly a little nervous but the experience was great and I passed on to IIT1.  That thread was intended mainly as a way to thank the folks that made my weekend so fun and productive.

But another weekend, another shoot, and another PC have passed and I'm thinking a series of posts as I work toward a red hat might be worth doing.  Maybe some of Iowa's newest IITs will find a hint to help them on their trail or one of our dedicated Red Hats or Shoot Bosses will see an opportunity for instruction.

And so.....

Drinking From the Fire Hose 2:
The Mudening

[Miller]

This weekend's shoot was hosted by the Izaak Walton League's Dubuque chapter at their facility in Peosta, Iowa.  A pleasant little range tucked away in North-East Iowa's bluff country a stone's throw from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois.  This range had first hosted a shoot last October that I had the pleasure to attend as a shooter.  Since then there had been some changes...  Some safety concerns regarding rounds leaving the range had led to some adjusting of range rules and the modification of the berms.  All of the work was recent but a shoot in the dirt is just as fine as one in the grass.

Until it rained.
All Friday night and in to Saturday.
LBOTG and IIT ΙΧΘΥΣ had jumped on the situation and tarped over the scheduled firing lines before the rains hit which gave us a firm, if not dry, area for the weekends instruction.  Well, mostly...  One bay was completely unusable due to mud so we ended up having to pack fifteen shooters into the space we had intended for half that number.  Tight quarters for sure and difficult for the instructors to get down in the mud with the shooters but being close just meant we kept each other a tad warmer.

One further bit of initiative on ΙΧΘΥΣ's part was to communicate his concern to the Shoot Boss well in advance which allowed for some consultation and planning among the scheduled instructors.

IIT ProTip:  If you have concerns about a shoot beforehand a PM or email to your Shoot Boss can help make for a successful weekend.

Thanks in part to this tip, and based on some quick conversations with the crew as we all prepared, I got to see a fine example of one of the quirks that seems common among the Appleseed cadre.  Preparedness.  Out of every vehicle such a mass of tarps and tentage appeared on that range that one would have thought the circus had come to town.  We actually ran out of space to erect all of the E-Z-Up shelters! 

IIT ProTip:  Watch the sale flyers for your local sporting goods and farm supply stores.  When they put folding tailgating canopies on clearance at the end of the season you can get a valuable piece of gear at a good price.

[Miller]

Now before this weekend every shoot I had attended as either shooter or Orange Hat had had pretty good weather.  Some had been warm and muggy, some breezy, but all had been fairly comfortable.  After this weekend no one can ever accuse me of being a fair weather 'seeder.  And on top of the challenges of rain, mud, and crowded line I had arrived with my PC2 in hand just a week after passing PC1.  Now Dubuque is the closest range to my home currently hosting Appleseed shoots (something I AM working on ) and as such I figured there was no excuse for me to not be on the line but just a week after my last shoot?  Whew...unpack, adjust load out, repack, catch up on the tasks missed the weekend before, scratch out my answers to the PC2, and review the tasks I would be expected to perform.

I was a little nervous about expanded line responsibilities, especially with the challenging conditions but not as much as the weekend before.  And despite the short turn around time I felt better prepared.  Under PC1 when asked to do something by the Shoot Boss I said sure and worried a bit.  This weekend I just said yes, clarified any points, and went to work. 

[Miller]

IIT Pro Tips:
Always pack good rain gear.  Water proof is also wind proof and layered under your shooting jacket will keep you a lot warmer.  Frogg Toggs are excellent and durable under even the worst conditions.

A good pair of waterproof boots will make even the worst mud hole comfortable.

Being able to change into a fresh pair of socks at lunch will make your whole day better.

If the day is cold and wet a few chewy granola bars in a pocket will help keep you warm.  Fuel for the boiler.

Always pack a pair of boots or shoes for after the day's work is done.  Sitting down for the Instructor's dinner/debrief in fresh, dry gear make everything better.

[Miller]

More to follow.....

[Miller]

One of the biggest lessons for me from this weekend is one I knew on an intellectual level but didn't really "know"...

Weather doesn't matter.
Conditions don't matter.


If it's cold and wet and muddy it does not matter.
Cold you can fix by dressing right, keeping hydrated, and scarfing energy bars when ever you have a moment.
Wet?  Good boots and good rain gear help but you will get wet.  If you can stay warm though it will fade to the background.
Muddy?  Go find the muddiest spot on the line.  Prone out, do a few NPOA shifts, transition to seated and get muddy.  You will bet muddy before the day is out.  Accept it and move on.

Another point...
A miserable day can be vastly improved my the simplest little luxuries.  A disposable hand warmer in your pocket, dry socks, a thermos with HOT soup for lunch.  It's amaing how much they will help your outlook.

And those shooters on the line?  The ones suffering because they weren't as prepared?  A cheap plastic poncho to keep the rain off, a pair of those hand warmers, and use of a blanket while you tell a strike or a D.O.M. will do amazing things, especially for the youngsters.  A comfortable shooter will be safer, will be better able to listen, and be more engaged.  Secondly if you as an instructor are so well prepared that you are comfortable AND able to help them out without missing a beat...well...makes for a nice roll model eh?  Somebody to follow...even take a hat maybe?

And those hand warmers?  Bulk packs generally go on clearance about this time of year....
Hint hint

[loves2hunt59]

All  that good advice,   plus that winning smile.

[scuzzy]

Weather doesn't matter.
Conditions don't matter.

Absolutely.

I'm glad AS has people like you on board.

[The Old Guide]

This is going to be a useful thread. I made it to IIT3 before I found out there is such a thing as an Instructor Manual. It's a huge help.

[Edheler]

Weather doesn't matter.
Conditions don't matter.

As someone on the same journey at the same time as you I couldn't agree more!

Last year I learned that rain didn't matter when I was a shooter on the line. This past week I learned that rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow don't really matter either. I was concerned about the weather because my hands turn into claws when they get too cold but I dressed appropriately and found out that I was fine! There were times when my hands were cold, but I dealt with it and moved on. One of the other instructors gave me some hand warmers and I didn't even end up using them and gave them back at the end of the day.

I am now confident that I will also learn that other conditions that I might have been fearing won't matter either.

Great thread and keep up the good work. I hope to meet you out on the trail sometime!

[Miller]

Thanks all.
Next step is taking PC3.
I'm hoping for a real scorcher of a weekend.
Drinking From the Fire Hose III: Inferno just sounds like a great title.

Maybe I need to sign up for a shoot down in Arizona or New Mexico....
DFTFH3: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly could work...

[Edheler]

Next step is taking PC3.
I'm hoping for a real scorcher of a weekend.

Thanks for invoking Murphy for me -- working on my PC3 this weekend. Miamisburg, Ohio is predicted to be 81 and thunderstorms for saturday and 86 and sunny for sunday. Now I am certain that will be revised up a few times. Not quite a scorcher but certainly higher than what I find comfortable the first weekend of May.

If you want another challenge, do four Appleseed weekends in a row. It's fun -- trust me.

[Miller]

Heh...I'm game for four in a row but SWMBO may just have a differing opinion.

Invest in a Camelback or something similar.  Fill it with ice cubes then water and it will keep you all sorts of cool and comfy.

Sorta.

[2 clicks low]

Invest in a Camelback or something similar.  Fill it with ice cubes then water and it will keep you all sorts of cool and comfy.

Why do you think you were given that orange hat? When it's over 80, you dip it in the cooler, notice the lack of mesh, you be sure to get some ice in there and put it back on. Good for an hour or two.

2cl

[Miller]

I thought that orange hat was so the Shoot Boss could quickly identify who was supposed to be carrying their umbrella and pitcher of iced tea.

[Cooper]

I thought that orange hat was so the Shoot Boss could quickly identify who was supposed to be carrying their umbrella and pitcher of iced tea.

GRRRRRRR

I haven't sent in your official promotion yet, you might want to give me a little more credit as a hard ass SB before you post such weenie wash as this...

Just sayin'

Cooper

[Miller]

I thought that orange hat was so the Shoot Boss could quickly identify who was supposed to be carrying their umbrella and pitcher of iced tea.

GRRRRRRR

I haven't sent in your official promotion yet, you might want to give me a little more credit as a hard ass SB before you post such weenie wash as this...

Just sayin'

Cooper

So you're saying that on a sweltering  ninety degree plus day you wouldn't detail an IIT to follow you up and down the line with a handy bit of shade and cool refreshment at your disposal?  And you wouldn't have another fanning you?

[Cooper]

So you're saying that on a sweltering  ninety degree plus day you wouldn't detail an IIT to follow you up and down the line with a handy bit of shade and cool refreshment at your disposal?  And you wouldn't have another fanning you?

HECK NO!!

I'd be thanking God for providing a sauna, and beating myself with cedar branches...
And the cool refreshment that I would most appreciate is not allowed at Appleseed events... 

BTW, Miller, this thread ROCKS and I'm stealing part of it for the AAR.  You are one awesome writer and I look forward to reading a whole lot more of your writing in the coming years.   

Cooper

[Miller]

Okay, Miller Policy Statement time....

If ANYBODY finds ANYTHING I've written that they think can be of benefit to the program I not only will allow it's use but encourage it. 

I would prefer proper attribution but so long as you aren't claiming my stuff as your own for some form of profit I won't really be bent out of shape.

Also, if anybody has a foggy idea floating through their head that they want put into words talk to me.  I'm not a professional wordsmith but I'll help any way I can.

[Miller]

Actually....that statement may need a bit broader posting than just the state board.....

[Edheler]

Actually....that statement may need a bit broader posting than just the state board.....

Don't worry, we all noticed it.