Tactical Technology for TEOTWAWKI – Part 5, by J.M.

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(Continued from Part 5.) A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words One of the most useful capabilities of mobile devices is their ability to take pictures and videos. If you’re out on a patrol you can photograph people you encounter, potential enemy locations, plants you discover for future foraging, abandoned material for future scrounging, etc. Pretty much every mobile device has a built-in camera, and most have both a front and rear camera. My Armor X5 has a 13 megapixel (MP) camera, which can take high-resolution pictures. I recommend that you always use the highest resolution possible for photographs, since …


Tactical Technology for TEOTWAWKI – Part 4, by J.M.

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(Continued from Part 3.) There’s an App for That The ability to run thousands of different apps is where the power of a mobile device really comes into play. It allows you to have access applications, files, sensors and other things in the palm of your hand. One of the most obvious app uses for mobile devices in field operations is maps – you can use them to figure out where you are, plan you need to go, note your findings, etc. I’ve standardized on mapping apps that utilize Open Street Maps (OSM) data files and support GPX files for …


Tactical Technology for TEOTWAWKI – Part 3, by J.M.

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(Continued from Part 2.) It’s All in Your Hands The core component of my field technology system is what most people would call a cell phone or smartphone, but I prefer to call a Mobile Information, Communications and Control System (MICCS), or just mobile device for short. Why not call it a cell phone? – because the cellular network will most likely be one of the first things to go in a TEOTWAWKI scenario. Granted, you could potentially create your own cellular network if you have the money and expertise, but for the purposes of this article I’m going to …


Tactical Technology for TEOTWAWKI – Part 2, by J.M.

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(Continued from Part 1.) You Can’t Stop the Signal! Much of the gear I’ll be discussing utilizes wireless communications for remote control and data exchange, so there are a number of dynamics that need to be understood to maximize their use. First, there are the factors that impact every radio signal: Transmission power – The more power used to transmit, the stronger the signal and the further away it can be received. In the US the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sets limits on how much power can be used to transmit. Antenna – The more closely the antenna is matched …


The Reality of Aging and Prepping – Part 1, by Muscadine Hunter

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To one extent or another I have been a prepper since I was in junior high school, 50 years ago. My dad was an avid outdoorsman who taught me to fish when I was old enough to hold a pole and taught me to shoot when I was 6 years old. By age 15 I was shooting skeet in state competition and began learning the art of reloading. I started bowhunting with a recurve bow when I was about 13 and had learned to make my own arrows, using blank shafts, by the time I was 15. Also, during my …


To Keep and Bear, by Joshua G.

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“To conquer a nation, you must first disarm its citizens.” That was spoken by Adolf Hitler, one of the twentieth century’s most hideous leaders. These words serve as a dire warning to all freedom-loving Americans. As active shootings have become more and more publicized so has a rising clamor for stringent government action. Screeching fabricated mendacities from between their parched lips, liberal politicians, some openly communist, encourage people to support new Red Flag gun laws. They vigorously insist that these laws will keep Americans “safer”. This is false. Many have been deceived. The danger is real. Common sense refutes their …


Body Armor Basics, by Raskolnikov

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It’s always struck me as odd that we often think of defensive preps almost exclusively as involving firearms. Don’t get me wrong, I love guns. I’ve taken courses and train regularly so I can use them effectively if the need should ever arise. But in a gunfight, the bullets don’t just go in one direction. Often, they come back at you as well. Today, we’re going to talk about how we can protect ourselves with various types of body armor or ballistic protection. We’ll talk about some of the basics of body armor, how it works, what options are available, …


Springfield Hellcat Review, by G.L.W.

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I am an amateur shooter at best and three years new to concealed carry. My goal is to give you my impressions of this newly-introduced gun and hopefully assist anyone considering one of these “micro-compact” handguns. I am in no way affiliated with Springfield Armory. After beginning our family in 2015, it was clear that the best, most responsible way for us to protect ourselves was to relocate us into the beautiful American Redoubt. You can be protected by the biggest arsenal, but in my mind, if your own local government is against you, you are at a disadvantage. Following …


Finding The Right German Shepherd, by John Adrain

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I don’t profess to be a writer or the authority on German Shepherd dogs. But I can share almost four decades of experience with my German Shepherds. Growing up in Ohio, one of my first experiences with dogs was with Golden Retrievers. They are fantastic loving dogs, and you’re more likely to be struck by lightning than bit by a Golden Retriever. However, if you want a dog to protect your family, they are pretty much worthless. They are more likely to roll over and piddle than protect you. We had a female, which is generally more protective than males, …


Vehicle Preparation – Part 1, by Traveling Mechanic

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Like what seems to be most of SurvivalBlog readers, I am stuck near a city by the need to work. I have an exit plan (a.k.a. Bug-Out plan) that we are following. I decided to share some aspects of our actions. If you do the suggested vehicle maintenance and repair work then this will assist you to avoid being broken down along the road during your Bug Out exit. These checks and corrections will also benefit by eliminating typical defects that arise in normal use. The beginning part of each check is an inspection of your Bug-Out Vehicle (BOV). I …


What if a Riot Comes Down My Street? , by T.S. in Ohio

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A few weeks ago, I jumped on SurvivalBlog hoping to see discussions about the riots and good ideas being shared but I was very surprised with such a major disaster unfolding to see that there was barely a mention about the riots. (Sorry, I meant “mostly peaceful protests”!) But I was glad to see the discussion pick up a few days ago with the article titled: Is It Time to Worry? by Jim S. because I believe these riots and the groups behind them are the most “clear and present danger” that the citizens of America currently face. I believe …


Leadership: Who Will Really Fight?, by J.D.

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As of late I have been pondering who amongst us –meaning Americans– will really be willing to pick up their rifles or pistols and defend their neighborhoods, homes, and families when it’s apparent that help, i.e. 911 is not going to be an option. I was recently at a large Christian campout that had a shooting range with a long table and roof. There was a large amount of brass on the ground and we were all having a good time sending lead downrange. Although I was encouraged to see the number of people that were exercising their second amendment …


Adventures in Central Texas Gardening – Part 2, by Lisa

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(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) — First let’s go over how I built my raised beds. The materials needed for 1 raised bed are: 4 – 8-foot landscape timbers (try to find the ‘untreated’ type) 3 – 12 in by 1 in by 8 foot yellow pine (untreated) 1 ½ – 1 ¾ inch deck screws 2 – 3-inch deck screws 8 – small “L” brackets (approx. 2 inches) 4 – 7 in. 16-Gauge Galvanized Reinforcing L-Angle – Note: I am not a professional carpenter and I was shopping at my local ‘mom and pop’ hardware store …


Adventures in Central Texas Gardening – Part 1, by Lisa

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As a child growing up in North Texas, my family was of the Depression era. We raised beef for the freezer, milked our cow for milk, raised chickens for both meat and eggs, raised a hog occasionally but always had a huge garden. I can’t tell you how many times I spent a summer day picking green beans on what seemed like the endless rows of the ½ acre garden. Of course, as I grew older, being the typical teen, I couldn’t wait to leave the country and move up in the world to the big city, which I did. …


Be Ready to Repair Your Rifles, by O.T.D.

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There is nothing like the joy of acquiring another firearm and more ammo. Once you are approaching that magic number of firearms and ammo you think you need, what could go wrong? You have taken each firearm to the range and have run it through the paces. You can shoot straight, quickly, and are having a great old time. Your ammo stocks are enough to support at least a squad of infantry. As I shoot more and use different firearms I have a better feeling of which rifles run better as far as ease of use, and are less prone …