We’ve completed the judging for Round 115 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. 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, Part 2, and Part 3. 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. 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 (a $1,095 value),
- A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” 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) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
- HSM Ammunition 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, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. 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 (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.
- Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
- Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
- A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, 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, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5. It was posted from October 29 to November 2, 2024.
His prizes will include:
- A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
- Three sets each 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 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, 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) go to the authors of the following 13 articles:
- Our Hurricane Experience in South Carolina, by K.U.
- A Home-Made Water Filter, by Richard T.
- Lessons Learned from Hurricane Helene, by N.C. Ham
- U.S. Military Tent Stoves, by Tunnel Rabbit. See: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.
- 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 and Part 2.
- POL for Preppers and Shooters, by Dr. Rick
- Relationships, Communities, and Resources, by 3AD Scout
- Pressure Cooker Lessons Learned, by St. Funogas. See: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
- Making Dosa the Old School Way, by E.P.
- Mentoring: Steps Toward Changing The World, by A Grateful Mechanic. See Part 1 and Part 2.
- Backyard Chicken Tips, by Tractorguy
- Chainsaws for a Decade of Service, by Tunnel Rabbit. See: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, 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. 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 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.