Good info as always, Kraig. I'll only add some other great LE classic books for consideration, namely: "Total Survival" by Ed Nowicki, "The Tactical Edge" and also "Street Survival", both by Charles Remsberg. Also, regarding snakes: Until a few years ago, in my LE duties, I would use a machete to dispatch snakes found in homes. This seemed like a good idea, since shooting them was obviously ruled out. The problem with this approach was that, while effective, the machete required me to get way too close to said serpents...and it was also a bloody mess. I found the solution in the sjambok, a type of whip sold by Cold Steel. It is whip-like, yet semi-solid and swung like a rod or stick. As the catalog says, little skill is required to wield it effectively. However, it gives the user plenty of standoff distance, and is available in both 42" and 54" lengths. Quite affordable, too. I was skeptical at first, but I figured I'd give it a try. So far, my sjambok has accounted for 4 snakes; all of whom were very impressed with it.
