After Action Report On Hurricane Irma, by Florida Dave

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The Prep Prepping Our prepping to deal with Hurricane Irma was done in a series of steps based on the probability of a strike affecting my area. I wrote about this in a previous article posted on SuvivalBlog. My preps for a Hurricane started two weeks prior when I notice a storm taking a track towards Cuba and local meteorologists saying, “We need to watch this one.” I had recently completed a quick inventory and tested the generator, lanterns, and camping stove. So my two week prior check was done, or so I thought. Pre-Labor Day Preliminary Prepping On the …



Stalking the Night- Part 2, by Mark B.

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Yesterday, I wrote about my experience where I needed night vision while being stalked on the mountain “alone”. I also wrote about the various generation technology advancements of night vision. Let’s proceed to outline the details of night vision technology and what it means. Understanding Resolution and Signal-to-Noise Specifications The two most important specifications for any night vision device are resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. In fact one of the main parameters for determining whether a night vision device can be exported is the multiple of these two specifications, also known as “Figure Of Merit”. If the NVD you are considering …


Letter: Millennial Snowflakes are Melting at a Rapid Pace

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HJL, JWR, Readers of Survival Blog, Almost a year has passed since the US presidential election, but the continuing message of hate and racism by the far-left media is starting to take its toll. Ordinary people are beginning to mentally crack and act out. The typically passive millennial that occupies the moderate left is quickly becoming more radicalized. No longer satisfied with virtue signaling hashtags on social media, this group has taken to the streets and is committing acts of vandalism and violence. The perpetrators are overwhelmingly upper-middle-class “activists” who have spent the majority of their entitled lives secluded from …


Stalking the Night- Part 1, by Mark B.

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I remember as a young man I spent a considerable amount of time hiking, backpacking, and camping in the mountains, usually by myself. Getting away from it all and honing my skills of self-reliance at the same time has always appealed to me. Maybe it is something, on a primal level, relating back to my cave man ancestry. Senses Go Into Overdrive It has been my experience that anytime you are completely alone that your awareness and senses go into overdrive, bombarding you with all sorts of new stimuli. At times, this can become overwhelming, and I would be lying …


Thermal Headset for Under $250, by Ricky B.

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I’ll bet my step-mama’s grave that anyone visiting SurvivalBlog either has a thermal headset or night vision device or would really like to have one. I was never able to emerge from the latter category until this year. I simply couldn’t afford to plunk down a thousand bucks or more on a limited family budget. That was the case, until now. Smartphone-Mounted Thermal Camera I recently discovered that a small, smartphone-mounted thermal camera can be had for about $200. Flir1 and Seek are the two competitors in this arena. Their cameras come in versions for both android and iOS devices. …


Long-Term Preparedness for Your Baby or Toddler Part 2, by K.F.

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Sustainably Diapering Your Baby or Small Child in a Long-Term Emergency In an emergency situation, one has to consider how you are going to diaper your child for the duration. If you choose to store disposable diapers and wipes, you must have an action plan for how you will dispose of them properly. Obviously, this is not a sustainable option for an emergency with an undefined length of time, but many prefer this method. Most people would call me a “crunchy” mom. I gave birth at home in our bedroom, I avoid big pharma, and I am a huge proponent …


Letter Re: How to Survive Something Like the Vegas Attack?

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Dear SurvivalBlog Readers, I would love to see some discussion about what people in the crowd in Vegas could/should have done to protect themselves, short of avoiding the crowd altogether. If you find yourself in a crowd during a mass shooting like this, what should you do? In such a chaotic environment, it would have been very difficult to know where the shots were coming from. Do you run to cover? Which direction? Crouch in place? How do you avoid being trampled? Even if you had a concealed carry gun, it wouldn’t have been very helpful, and probably it would …


Long-Term Preparedness for Your Baby or Toddler, Part 1, by K.F.

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Feeding Your Baby or Small Child Consider feeding your baby or small child in the midst of tropical storms, flooding, and with threats from nuclear testing. As world events are painting an increasingly grim picture, my husband and I have felt the urgency to set aside some backup resources in case of a long-term emergency. My husband is the “must-have-a-plan-for-everything” kind of guy. Therefore, he has excitedly mapped out our emergency storage space, along with the details of its contents. He is an avid “outdoorsman”, so many of the items that we would need for long-term preparedness are either already …


Homestead Design from a Practical, Tactical, Agricultural Survival Perspective, by C.F

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Let’s talk about practical, tactical, and agricultural survival principles and details that pertain to developing land in a way that will facilitate agricultural productivity, sustainability, and security. Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house. Prov. 24:27. Assessing the Land The Land First of all, we are likely to be constrained by property boundaries. Therefore, in selecting property, what are our priorities? Not everyone has the same priorities, and priorities change as the world around us changes. For example, a property that is perfectly usable today may become untenable if …


Wandering in the New World- Part 2, by JMD

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Yesterday, I began writing about the post-SHTF conditions that may make a wandering nomad type lifestyle much more practical and reasonable. We are talking about considerations for this and continuing with this further today. Situational Awareness – You need to always be aware of your surroundings, where you are and where you can quickly get to for cover and concealment. Medical If a medical emergency occurs, you probably won’t have anyone to rely on but yourself and/or your group. You’ll need to learn how to handle common injuries and illnesses with what you have available. Bushcraft Since you won’t have …


Wandering in the New World- Part 1, by JMD

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Let’s explore the concept of wandering. If you’ve been involved in the world of preparedness for any length of time, you’re familiar with terms like “Bug-Out Location” (BOL) and “Bugging-In”, and you have probably read or participated in discussions about ways to go about securing your house/neighborhood/compound/town. Humans as a species tend to be social animals, and gathering in fixed locations in large groups has always had many advantages, including security, stable relationships, sharing of labor, farming, et cetera. But there have always been individuals and small groups who prefer (or are forced) to minimize their interactions with “society” and …


Sweet Spot For the 21st Century With Calibers Beating .308- Part 4, by Alpine Evader

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Today, I’ll wrap up this series by writing about fire teams and our planning and training regimen. Also, I’ll outline some of our desires for the future. Fire Teams of Four (or Three) In SHTF, two fire teams of four would be absolutely fabulous, but we practice with one less person. This factors in SHTF reality, when we’ll suffer injuries, illness, homestead security, et cetera, into our planning and training regimen. A command element of four people– a squad leader, radio, two NCOs– would round this fantasy of a full-strength fire team out. We aren’t into fantasy, but that’s what …


Sweet Spot For the 21st Century With Calibers Beating .308- Part 3, by Alpine Evader

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Yesterday, in part two of this “sweet spot” series, I moved beyond telling about my high altitude survival group and our plans and I began telling about my loadout long-term results and recommendations. I’ll continue with this by recommending some ammo. 115 Grain 6.8 Ammo You’ll find that 115 grain 6.8 SPC Sellier & Belliot (S&B) ammo just got undercut by 115 grain American Eagle; both are about $0.62 per round. 6.8 ball ammo will crush cinder blocks within 200 yards far more effectively than any 5.56 ammo. That’s true even if you include green-tip SLAP rounds out of either …


Sweet Spot For the 21st Century With Calibers Beating .308- Part 2, by Alpine Evader

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Yesterday, I began writing by telling the summary up front. I said we recommend against adopting the beautiful, survival standard of .308/7.62x51mm caliber semi-automatic rifles. Instead, I stated, “The least expensive and best upgrade to any existing AR-15 fire team for high altitude blended threats is to purchase standardized barrels and stock up on single-use, heavier bullets.” I also shared about our survival group’s location decisions. So, who am I to make these statements and recommendations? Author’s Relevant Background I climbed my first 14,000+ foot peak at the age of 12 in a summer camp located smack dab in the …