Category: Contest

Equestrian Survival For Bugging Out, Recon, Rescue, Projection of Force, or Hunting- Part 2, by R.M.

Figure Out How Much Weight Your Horse Can Handle If things head south, and you think you might have to use your horse under stress at some point in the near future, keep his weight right and work his chest. A firm horse is one you can rely upon. Using a soft horse for a strenuous endeavor is not fair to the horse and is a safety hazard to you. Every horse is different. A horse with bad conformation (bone structure) can’t have much expected of him; a swayback isn’t a long distance choice. You have to have a good …


Equestrian Survival For Bugging Out, Recon, Rescue, Projection of Force, or Hunting- Part 1, by R.M.

Assess Your Horse’s Capabilities and Temperament We all love to think of our horses as part of the family. Some might love their horses. Let me begin by saying that before you do an overnight or longer trip away from all the comforts of home, you need to honestly assess your horse’s capabilities and temperament. Temperament is key here. I am careful to choose the horse for the job. I prefer traveling far with my dog as well. He is a great scout, level headed, and loves to ride. He often hunts for himself, but I always bring food for …


Surviving Custer, by R.S.

Let’s be honest, how many of you ever expect to find yourself in a survival situation? You’ve probably day dreamed about it, wondering how you’d fare. The fact is, we don’t walk out the door in the morning expecting to find ourselves in a predicament. I certainly never expected to find myself in such a “survival” situation on a summer day in South Dakota’s Custer State Park. Yet, there I was facing such a situation just last summer. We had finally taken our long-awaited family vacation “out West”. We live in the suburbs outside a large Midwestern city. So the …


A Homemade Thermos Cooker, by M.P.

A thermos cooker is an energy saving cooking device. Earlier versions were a vacuum thermos that you placed uncooked food and boiling water into and then sealed it up, and in a few hours you had cooked food. Later versions have a pot that you put your ingredients into and place on your stove; you then bring the contents to a boil and place the pot into an insulated outer pot to hold the heat in and cook the food. Thermos cookers do not speed up cooking times; they only save energy, and in fact cooking times can be significantly …


Selecting An Escape Route, by KyoSa D

Everyone has a plan to “Get Out of Dodge” in an emergency. As I teach my self defense and firearms classes, I ask people and they all say, “I’d head up to my cabin” or “I’ll head out west”. The problem is, have you actually considered how you will leave the immediate area of your home or work? Most of the people I hear begin their plan ambiguously. They say, just simply, “I’d leave town”, but they have never done any reconnaissance or real-life consideration of their route. As humans, we are creatures of habit. If I want to leave …


Vinegar As An Essential Multi-Purpose Tool for TEOTWAWKI- Part 2, by J.R.

Equipment and Supplies Making your own vinegar at home is a simple, useful, practical skill that is applicable to TEOTWAWKI.  If you can crush apples and save the apple juice, you can make apple cider vinegar (ACV).  In addition to apple, there are many different types of vinegars you can make depending upon your needs and desires.  I have been making ACV for many years. I have gallons put away in my basement, and I always have a bottle in the fridge that I use on a continual basis.  Stocking up on some basic supplies ahead of time will ensure …


Vinegar As An Essential Multi-Purpose Tool for TEOTWAWKI- Part 1, by J.R.

During TEOTWAWKI, long-term survivability will depend upon more than adequate caloric intake and the ability to defend oneself and one’s family.  Historically, the leading cause of death during times of prolonged war, conflict, or natural disasters has not been violence or the direct impact of disasters, rather, most people perished due to rampant disease and infections caused by the interruption of access to medical treatment, clean water, and adequate hygiene.  In dire times, access to medicinal agents and the ability to both prevent food and water-borne illness and to maintain hygienic living quarters may make the difference between life and …


Our Home Freeze Drying Saga, by R.P.

First, let me share a little background. Being single for a long time, I bought a very small house on a big lot. Well, things seem to happen in our lives. I met a woman, one thing led to another, and now I have a wife and three kids in a very tiny house. Retiring at the first of the year, my brother asked me to help rehab a house. While I was working, I kept hearing these ads for a food freeze drier by Harvest Right. After a few months of this, I went home one night and asked …


Building an 80% Firearm- Part 4, by Tupreco

Building 80% 1911 and Glock Pistols In Part 3 of this series, we took a detailed look at selecting and completing an 80% AR-15 lower receiver. Whether or not you choose to build an AR-15 ghost gun, you may be interested to know that there are also 80% pistol frames and build kits out there to make your own ghost pistol as well. It’s a great challenge and very satisfying to complete one successfully. First, we will look at the legendary John Browning-designed 1911 version. Your 1911 Ghost Gun Trying to explain the popularity of the 1911 .45 ACP pistol …


Building An 80% Firearm- Part 3, by Tupreco

Finishing an AR-15 80% Lower During the eight years of Obama’s presidency, a record 144 million pre-purchase NICS background checks were performed. This is almost exactly twice the number we saw during eight years of George W. Bush. Whether the numbers return to Bush-era levels under a Trump presidency remains to be seen. Certainly, while a background check is not an actual gun sale, it is widely believed that the numbers do correlate closely to actual gun sales. This substantial increase in firearms sales also saw a corresponding increase in firearms technology development. Good examples of this include the rise …


Building An 80% Firearm- Part 2, by Tupreco

Learn The Why and How (continued) The key provision that makes the 80% industry possible is making sure that all the items being purchased and transported are parts and not a firearm. Because once the parts wind up in your hand, you have the right to now “make” a firearm as listed above but only if you can legally own that firearm in your state of residence. Does this mean I can make my own firearm? The short answer is “Yes, with conditions attached.” From the ATF website: An individual may generally make a firearm for personal use. However, individuals …


Building An 80% Firearm- Part 1, by Tupreco

Learn the Why and How The election of Donald Trump is beginning to show concrete steps toward dialing back the Obama administration’s numerous efforts to undermine our Second Amendment rights. How that will continue to play out remains to be seen. Surprisingly though, even on Obama’s watch there were several pro-2nd Amendment (2A) court and legislative victories, including expansion of concealed carry in many states. Another thing that occurred while Obama was in office was an unexpected but welcome surprise from the ATF. Several years ago, a well-known AR-15 parts manufacturer requested and received the ATF’s formal approval to manufacture …


Prepping the Soul: The Skill of Multiplication, by R.S.

Even a casual glimpse at the headlines will confirm the continued descent of our society into immorality. Violence, illicit drugs, abortion, and the continued assault on the family are not only common place but are being actively sought as acceptable behavior by vast numbers of the public. Politicians are running to their defense, and legislation is following. The decline is steep. It is real, and it will continue. Revelation 1:1 tells us that these, “things must come to pass.” John doesn’t say that it might come to pass or even that it should come to pass but that it must. …


Preparing for Cyber Warfare- Part 2, by Northwoods Prepper

One advantage that we all now have in addressing a cyber attack is awareness. During heightened tensions with other countries, you will be aware of the potential risk that these devices may pose and utilize your electronic equipment sparingly. Knowledge is power. Defensive measures have two considerations. The first thing to ask is, how should I protect myself. The second is, how should I ensure my equipment and my property is not causing damage to my country or the general population. The best defense is to eliminate dependency. Minimizing or reducing our need for electronic devices is the most practical …


Preparing for Cyber Warfare- Part 1, by Northwoods Prepper

As a regular follower of this blog, I, and as I imagine most readers, are very familiar with the results of an EMP. This is one of the most discussed topics in the survivalist blogosphere, for good reason. Electricity brings all of us a much easier life, and to prepare for the loss of such is difficult both physically and mentally, not to mention costly. With my electronic devices, those that I continue to use daily, my preparations lie between letting them become paper weights with the effects of an EMP to properly protecting those that are of value and …