Month: December 2014



Guest Article: Pepper Spray Decontamination and Medical Treatment, by D.F.

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Pepper spray, also known as OC spray (from “Oleoresin Capsicum”), OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent (a chemical compound that irritates the eyes to cause tears, pain, and even temporary blindness), and it is used in riot control, crowd control, and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears. Its inflammatory effects cause the eyes to close, taking away vision. This temporary blindness allows officers to more easily restrain subjects and permits persons using pepper spray for self-defense an opportunity to escape. (The following is the regimen I use for decon after field training in the agencies …


Scot’s Product Review: Chinook Level 1 Emergency Preparedness Medical Kit (EPMK)

Chinook Medical Gear, Inc. is a Durango, Colorado-based company that provides medical gear to first responders, military, and all the rest of us. They supply pre-built first aid kits, custom kits, packs and cases, individual items, and pretty much anything else medical you might need for an emergency. I’ve written about some of the modules they sell to help you put together a kit on a step-by-step basis. The kit I’m writing about here, the Level 1 Emergency Preparedness Medical Kit (EPMK) is a different strategy. It is a pretty complete package you can purchased in one fell swoop. It …


Recipe of the Week: Enchilada Sauce, by L.H.

I haven’t priced the stuff in 10 years, but back then buying two cans of it came near to the cost of the meat for the dish I was purchasing it for. So by golly, I decided I could learn to make my own, homemade, at a much lower cost. This recipe does it; it tastes exactly the same as the name-brand cans in the grocery store, at 1/4 the cost. And it’s easy too! I think you’ll like it. I usually double the recipe, which is no more trouble than a single batch, and use/freeze it in 2-cup (pint) …


Letter Re: What Haven’t I Thought Of For Nuclear Survival?

Hugh, I spent 15 years in the nuclear industry working at a nuke plant and was the site Radiochemist most of that time. I have never seen any sort of functional anti-C that will “stop” or even attenuate gamma radiation. In fact, nothing will “stop” gamma rays. Shielding (lead, concrete, water) can attenuate gamma rays, but it will not “stop” it. Some measurable energy still gets through all shielding. So I am not sure what the author is referring to, but any anti-C that isn’t meant to be disposed of has to be deconned after each use. Of course when …



Odds ‘n Sods:

Teacher shot during school robbery sues district after being told he ‘should have played dead’. – B.B. o o o Sharyl Attkisson: CDC Is Tracking 1,400 Possible Ebola Cases in US Today(Video) – B.B. o o o Islamist terror: why I now fear going on the Tube (subway). – A.D. o o o For those with a Netflix account: 20 Best Prepper and Survivalist Shows on Netflix. – M.A. o o o Florida ‘theme park’ let’s teens shoot real machine guns, live ammo, at zombies and other actionable targets. – D.S.



Notes for Sunday – December 21, 2014

December 22nd is the anniversary of the death of SP4 James T. Davis, the first uniformed American combat casualty of the Vietnam War, in 1961. This ASA soldier (of the 3rd Radio Research Unit) was killed in a Viet Cong ambush on a road outside Saigon. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 56 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value), A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate …


Rapid Prototyping and TEOTWAWKI, by PMN

If there is a breakdown in the normal manufacturing system because of TEOTWAWKI, the usual supply of parts may be unavailable to replace the broken pieces of our machines. However, 3d printing might provide a solution by allowing us to make whatever we need as we need it, but we’d need to exercise caution. There are problems of strength, accuracy, and technical ability involved in this process, and it isn’t “Beam me up Scottie” quite yet. Some of you guys/girls may have heard of rapid prototyping, which is also called 3d printing. If you haven’t, it is roughly equivalent to …


Three Letters Re: Prepper Armor

Hugh, In response to K.W.’s concern, posted December 18, 2014, about M193 5.56 ball ammunition vs. Level III plates: It should be noted that two things defeat body armor– velocity and mass of the bullet. The NIJ 0101.06 (the most current) standards rate a Level III hard plate to stop a 7.62mm 147 grain steel jacketed bullet at 2780 feet per second. Considering the M193 travels right around 3000 fps (close to the NIJ standards) and the mass is significantly less, that should put you on the safe side. Incidentally, it seems some companies understand this concern and make sure …


Economics and Investing:

Dollar Store Nation: Largest percentage of Americans on food stamps while stock market disconnects from working class Americans. o o o This Is What a Currency Collapse Looks Like: Shopping Frenzy: “We Have A Lot Of Rubles Losing Value Every Second” o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Switzerland Introduces Negative Interest Rates to Weaken Franc Russians Flock to Stores to Pre-Empt Price Rises


Odds ‘n Sods:

An excellent video tribute to a sad story that happens too often: On the Hometown Battlefield… o o o Two NY Police Officers Ambushed – Both Killed from Behind Seated in Patrol Car – T.P. o o o Increasingly Armed Mexican Populace Preparing for a Revolution?. – G.P. o o o Why TV is EVIL – simulated reality and brainwashing by repetition. – A.D. o o o A recent disaster with a mole removal has made my son unwilling to repeat the incident. Needing to deal with a couple of problem moles, we embarked on a journey to find an …


Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the …