to hell with a cleaning rod, get a boresnake, you love yourself for it, but what you do in your private time is your own business...
but really, boresnakes save you soooooooo much time and effort, plus they are easier to carry.

as far as solvents, i don't use any, just some good ole CLP, (cleaner lubricant and preservative), i think its called "break free" at wal-mart, kts pretty much what the military uses, you use the same fluid for cleaning and lubricating (hince the name) you can get both at wal-mart.... like 12 bucks for the boresnake...

Oh, and don't forget a toothbrush, an old cut up t-shirt and some q-tips

DONE