We’ve completed the judging for Round 115 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest [1]. The judging for this round was very difficult since there were five very informative Hurricane Helene after-action reports and several excellent technical articles.
First Prize goes to Soyez Ferme, for Hurricane Milton After Action Review. See: Part 1 [2], Part 2 [3], and Part 3 [4]. It was posted on October 23-24-25, 2024.
His prizes will include:
- The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon [5]. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
- A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course [6] (a $1,095 value),
- A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” [7] variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
- American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) [8] is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses [9]. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course [10].
- HSM Ammunition [11] in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.
Second Prize goes to A.F. for: Lessons From Hurricane Helene. See: Part 1 [12], Part 2 [13], Part 3 [14], and Part 4 [15]. It was posted November 12-to-15, 2024
His prizes will include:
- A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
- Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord [16] (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
- A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com [17].
- Two sets of [18]The Civil Defense Manual, [19] (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
- Two Super Survival Pack seed collections [20], a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
- A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company [21], toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!
Third Prize goes to St. Funogas for Just-In-Time Food Storage. See: Part 1 [22], Part 2 [23], Part 3 [24], Part 4 [25], and Part 5 [26]. It was posted from October 29 to November 2, 2024.
His prizes will include:
- A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters [27] (a $305 value),
- Three sets each [28] of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
- A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC [29] that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
- A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company [21], toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.
Honorable Menton Prizes (transferable $100 FRN purchase credits toward the purchase of any antique or percussion replica gun from Elk Creek Company [21]) go to the authors of the following 13 articles:
- Our Hurricane Experience in South Carolina [30], by K.U.
- A Home-Made Water Filter [31], by Richard T.
- Lessons Learned from Hurricane Helene [32], by N.C. Ham
- U.S. Military Tent Stoves, by Tunnel Rabbit. See: Part 1 [33], Part 2 [34], Part 3 [35], Part 4 [36], and Part 5 [37].
- Photovoltaic Power and Prepping, by B.S.V.. See: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.
- Georgia: Hurricane Helene, by Forward Preppers. See Part 1 [38]and Part 2 [39].
- POL for Preppers and Shooters [40], by Dr. Rick
- Relationships, Communities, and Resources [41], by 3AD Scout
- Pressure Cooker Lessons Learned, by St. Funogas. See: Part 1 [42], Part 2 [43], and Part 3 [44].
- Making Dosa the Old School Way, by E.P.
- Mentoring: Steps Toward Changing The World, by A Grateful Mechanic. See Part 1 [45] and Part 2 [46].
- Backyard Chicken Tips [47], by Tractorguy
- Chainsaws for a Decade of Service, by Tunnel Rabbit. See: Part 1 [48], Part 2 [49], Part 3 [50], and Part 4.
Note: I will need USPS and UPS addresses from the Top Three prize winners. Thanks! – JWR
More than $925,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics [51]. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 116 is underway and ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail [52] us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.