Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. This week the focus is on the book Basic Survival: A Beginner’s Guide, by David Nash
Books (Basic Survival: A Beginner’s Guide):
A great new book is not officially scheduled for release until November 21st, but the publisher is reportedly already shipping orders: Basic Survival: A Beginner’s Guide, by David Nash. It is highly recommended. I see that its Amazon overall sales rank jumped from around #200,000 a week ago, to now around #20,800.
This book is the perfect gift for any friends, neighbors, relatives, or co-workers who are new to prepping. I wrote the book’s Foreword. Full Disclosure: I was not compensated for writing the Foreword. Nor will I profit from the sales of this book, other than the usual Amazon Associates sales commissions that I earn from links to any other book. – JWR
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Here is a new addition to Avalanche Lily’s bedside book stack: Heinerman’s Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs
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That will end up on the shelf right next to this old standby: Herbal Medicine Natural Remedies: 150 Herbal Remedies to Heal Common Ailments
Movies and Television:
The Unseen Holocaust. This 2014 documentary is worth watching. Here is a description: “Years of painstaking research by film historian Dr. Jeremy Hicks into the Russian State Film Archives uncovered new Holocaust footage which brings to light shocking new evidence of Nazi death squads. “The Unseen Holocaust” offers an important new, if disturbing, insight into the origins of the Nazi genocide.” (Available on DVD. Also available for free download for Amazon Prime members.)
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Idaho: The Movie. A highly-rated 2017 documentary film. (Available on DVD. Also available for free download for Amazon Prime members.) By the way, the book seen on the narrator’s desk at the opening of the film is one of my favorite regional histories: Idaho For The Curious.
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And, as long as you are documentary mode, take and hour to also watch: Elk in America. This one too is available for free download on Amazon Prime. The narration by Stacey Keach is a bit insipid at times, but the video photography is fantastic.
Instructional Videos:
Next, from our favorite video blogger Wranglerstar: Signs You Have WAY Too Many Tools! (A walk-through of his annual engine maintenance.)
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What Would Stoner Do? (WWSD) Rethinking the AR15 in 2017 – Introduction. JWR’s Comments: Some thought-provoking suggestions here. But I disagree about backup sights. I’d much rather tack on a few ounces to have a MagPul plastic BUIS set available. Optics can indeed fail/break/fog up spectacularly, and at the worst possible time. I’ve had it happen whilst hunting. If the same were to happen in combat, it could be life-threatening.
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Video from IV8888: Model 98 Mauser Rifle Bolt Disassembly and Reassembly (Cock on Open Type)
Podcasts:
Reluctant Preppers: The Most Common Prepping Mistakes + Investing in Tangibles — Interview with James Wesley, Rawles. The discussion of tangibles investing begins at the 18:40 mark.
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Born to Grow Podcast: Winter Growing on a Budget
Gear:
I recently bought several Glock 9mm “+10” magazine extension kits from Taylor Freelance. I’ve done biz with this company before, and I’ve always been impressed with the quality of their work and how they treat customers. They are a small company out in Bellingham, Washington. This time I bought +10 kits for 31-round Glock 17/19 magazines, which turn them into whoppin’ big 41-round magazines! That is the recipe for Glockamole. Each kit includes an extra-long magazine spring. The extension itself is CNC machined out of an aluminum alloy block, and black anodized. They are firmly held in place by a plate that is held by two Allen head screws.
Installing the extension is a snap, after you get the floorplates off your original Glock magazines. This task is a bit of a chore unless you have a Glock magazine disassembly tool. I recommend that every Glock own invest twelve bucks to get this tool, which will save you a lot of frustration. Taylor Freelance makes magazine extensions and mag well adapters for a wide variety of pistols. Be sure to check out their web site, in detail.
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For safety, these are a must: Oregon 36″ Premium Apron Chainsaw Chaps. Remember: Wear “All the gear, all the time” (ATGATT).
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These are so inexpensive that you should get one of these for every rifle or shotgun you own that has a traditional profile stock: Acid Tactical Buttstock Shotgun Rifle shell holder & cheek rest pouch, olive drab.
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I’m glad to see that Craftsman still has some quality American-made tools! Here is an example: Craftsman 9 pc. Standard 6 pt. Combination Wrench Set, # 47234 Made in the USA
Make a Suggestion
Want to suggest Recommendations of your own? Then please send them to JWR. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact form.) Thanks!
Basic Survival: A Beginner’s Guide is already shipping. When I saw you mention it in an earlier piece, I went to pre-order but it was already available and arrived at my house late last week. It will be a Christmas gift to my son!
Those Craftsman wrenches look like new-old stock. Sadly I don’t believe they make any new / current wrenches in the USA.
Unfortunately, I believe you are right.
Some of the new stuff in the stores looks bad.
Holocaust? Anyone ever heard of the Holodomor? It was Stalin’s genocide starvation of the Ukrainians in 1932-33. there were waaaay more than 6 million starved to death.The USSR suppressed this info and now the survivors are dead. But some will always remember.
The What Would Stoner Do in 2017 videos are a gold mine of information about the AR-15. They’ve given me some great ideas for my next build. Even if you don’t agree, Ian and Karl both have learned a lot about the AR system and are very clear in their explanations.