SMVM Training

Five hardy souls braved the icy roads and wintry weather on December 6 to head to Camp Stasa for a militia training session. It was to be my first time at Camp Stasa, and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Being as I’m an old Boy Scout and experienced winter camper, I made sure I was prepared to stay warm and dry. It was also the first opportunity I would have to fire two firearms I recently purchased.

Eight a.m. is supposed to be the meeting time at Camp Stasa, at least according to the web page. I didn’t manage to arrive until shortly after nine o’clock, though, because of having to drive slower than normal on the roads. There were three individuals already there, with one more arriving shortly after I did. I have to admit that I couldn’t find an address on the farm house or nearby mailbox at the given address, and was hesitant to turn into the driveway seeing as it was marked with a prominent “No Trespassing” sign. But when another car turned in to the driveway I followed it and asked if that was the correct location, and it was.

When it became apparent that the five of us were probably all who would arrive, we donned our gear and proceeded to hike back to the actual militia camp. I estimated the hike was about 400 yards along a rutted farm road covered with four to six inches of snow, which made the walking a bit harder and slower than normal. We had to each carry anything we wanted at the camp. Not knowing what to expect, I carried a nylon folding camp chair which I could probably have left at the car as there were some picnic tables with benches and stackable plastic chairs to sit in at the camp. I also carried an insulated cushion (in woodland camo pattern, even!) to sit on as one does not want to sit on the cold ground (or even on a cold chair) in cold weather.

We got to the camp and shucked some of our excess gear such as backpacks while retaining our ammo belts. I understand we’re not supposed to start shooting before 10 a.m. at Camp Stasa, so around 10:15 we proceeded to head over to the plywood wall at the firing range and taped up some paper bullseye-style targets. We then all backed off to around 25 yards distance just to register our guns on target. That’s when I found that the M1 Carbine I recently purchased shoots a bit high, although my shots were grouped fairly well together. I felt OK about that, seeing as I had not fired a gun in the last 30 years!

We then moved back to 50 yards and fired a few shots, then moved back to 100 yards distance from the targets. While my carbine was about 3 inches high at 25 yards, it shot about 12 inches high at 100 yards, so at least it was consistent. I was able to compensate somewhat by aiming low. I later did online research and found that if an M1 Carbine shoots low you can file down the front sight, but if it shoots high then you can’t do much other than replace the front sight (or aim low).

We had a mix of guns shooting at the targets. One member had a .223 rifle that barely made a sound (or so it seemed with our earplugs in place). My carbine made a nice, pleasing “bark” of a report. Another guy shot an AK-47, which had a typical AK-47 sound. One member was firing a .308 military-style rifle that sounded like something between a 12 gauge shotgun and a 12-pound Civil War cannon! It had a resounding Boom! and you could feel the concussion wave even standing 30 feet behind the shooter.

After firing the long guns, two of us moved back to the 25 yard line or maybe a wee bit closer and fired our 1911-style pistols. I’m glad to report I was able to hit a bowling pin on the 2nd shot at about 60 feet away. At least my pistol fires where the sights are aimed.

When we were all done firing our weapons, we repaired to an old army style tent that had a small wood stove inside. We gathered up some downed tree limbs from the area and kindled a fire. It was handy that someone brought a hatchet to help with chopping wood, although much of the downed wood was dry enough to break by hand or by striking against the edge of a wooden pallet. We then gathered inside the tent and got comfortable. A couple of fellows attempted to heat some canned food on top of the cast iron stove, but we never got the stove with a big enough fire to heat the iron enough to transfer heat. One person then got out a small survival stove he said he purchased online that used a chemical tablet as fuel. He was able to heat up a can of food and also heated a canteen cup of water for someone else who was then able to heat a cup of noodles. I need to get one of those stoves, although I didn’t see them on the web site he mentioned. I munched on some beef snack sticks, chocolate-covered peanuts, and a Clif Bar.

After talking about various and sundry things, we struck camp around 2:30 p.m., used my two-quart canteen to extinguish the fire, and hiked back to our cars. After that we all headed home.

This was my first time at Camp Stasa, and I found it had a certain rustic charm. Finding the large tent there was a bonus as it gave one a place to get out of the wind. I had gone to camp prepared to spend the night, although when the others said they didn’t winter camp out there until February I left my larger backpack, tent, sleeping bag, pad, etc, back at the car. I had attended one militia meeting in November, and had purchased several items before I went to camp. I did get a new pistol belt (but not a holster yet), plus ammo pouches so I could carry four magazines for the 1911 pistol, plus I was carrying carbine magazines with 85 rounds of ammo. Also had a 1 quart canteen and a pouch with my personal first aid kit on the belt. One thing I did not purchase was shoulder straps to hook into the pistol belt, and what with all the weight I found I was constantly pulling the belt up when it sagged. G.I. Surplus didn’t have the H-straps in stock, although I should have purchased the Y-straps because they would have been better than no shoulder straps! I did mark my first aid kit with both a black cross of electrical tape and also with a small red ribbon, as per the militia web page. I plan on adding my blood type inside the lid of the first aid pouch.

On some of the SMVM web pages with camp reports, it is evident they sometimes use a four-wheeled ATV to move equipment from the parking area to the camp. We didn’t have that luxury, so had to pack everything we wanted. In snowy conditions, it would be a convenience to strap items on a toboggan and tow it behind.

I had also taken my own toilet paper to camp (although didn’t need to use it). The latrine facilities seemed a bit primitive, so any others who may be headed to Camp Stasa, keep that in mind. It is all outdoor camping, so no indoor plumbing.

I believe that sometimes the militia will make meals to feed a larger group (perhaps for a fee?), but I was still prepared to feed myself. It would be advisable for anyone to pack high-energy food, especially in cold weather. I also only carried three quarts of water, but would have carried more in hot weather. There aren’t any water faucets around the camp area, so if you want to have something to drink, you will have to pack it in. In the winter, I suppose one could melt snow over the stove, but I can attest from previous winter camping experience that it takes a lot of snow to make even a little drinking water. You should probably also filter/purify the melted snow before drinking it these days. And for those who don’t know, it is not advisable to eat cold snow as it will reduce your core body temperature and could lead to hypothermia. One good thing about cold weather is that you don’t have to worry about keeping spoilable foods cool!

Good insulated winter boots are a must at any camp in winter weather, especially when there are several inches of snow on the ground. I also wore polypropylene long johns (uppers and lowers), camouflage pants, plus two heavy flannel shirts and a winter coat with a hood. I also wore a wool stocking cap, plus some thinsulate gloves that are the warmest winter gloves I’ve ever had, although I don’t believe they would survive for long with rough use. Besides being warm, those gloves being thin made it easier to handle ammo magazines and manipulate the safety and trigger of firearms with no need to remove the gloves for any reason. For those who have winter camped, they know it is essential to not allow yourself to get chilled as then it is hard to re-warm yourself without the use of a building.

All in all, it was a fun and invigorating first experience at militia camp, and I can’t wait to go back. I would recommend anyone who is interested to not wait for spring, as who knows— you may find yourself having to be outdoors someday in less than ideal weather, so you might as well get used to it now!

6 in of snow, 20 degrees, snow flying
built fire in Griffiins den,
discussed walk in, movement in snow, keeping tracks to minimum , etc.
range time with poor visibility
5 people 3 members 2 new
a couple different snow camo was represented
food: ravioli, sardines, cup of noodles, sandwiches, water heated on an esbit stove for the cup of noodles, ravioli warmed on the wood stove
wood collected and chopped for the fire