Category: Contest

Youth’s Lessons: The Slingshot – Part 3, by J.M.

(Continued from Part 2.) Add-Ons There are dozens of possible additional features that can be built into or added onto a basic slingshot frame to enhance its effectiveness and functionality. One of the most common ones is a wrist brace, which is a rigid extension that attaches to the frame and presses down on the top of your forearm. In regards to my earlier discussion about the lever behavior of a slingshot, a wrist brace helps overcome this problem by transferring the rotating force on your wrist into a downward force on your forearm, which allows you to use stronger …


Youth’s Lessons: The Slingshot – Part 2, by J.M.

(Continued from Part 1.) On any frame with forks there are also two options for the orientation of how the bands are attached to the forks – Through The Forks (TTF) or Over The Top (OTT). TTF means that the bands come around the sides of the forks, and the ammo passes through the forks roughly centered on the bands. OTT means the bands come over the top of the forks, and the ammo comes out roughly centered on a line across the tops of the forks. Here’s a picture that illustrates the two layouts (TTF on top, OTT on …


Youth’s Lessons: The Slingshot – Part 1, by J.M.

One of the hallmarks of good preparedness is leveraging lessons of the past to help us prepare for the future. However, as we age we tend to discard a lot of the simpler things we learned earlier in life in favor of more advanced (and typically more complex and expensive) approaches. Weapons are a great example of this – if you’re somewhere in the realm of a ‘seasoned citizen’ there’s a good chance you made and used a slingshot (‘catapult’ or ‘katty’ for those of you in the UK) from a tree branch and inner tube sometime in your youth, …


Handguns For Hard Times – Part 2, by Rufus King

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Traditional Double Action Pistols Aside from striker-fired pistols, the traditional double action/single action (“TDA”) pistol has a following. Examples of this design are the SIG P226 and the Beretta M9. With this type of action, the pistol is carried with its exposed hammer in the down position. The first shot is fired with a long, heavy double action trigger pull. After the first shot, the pistol cocks itself, and subsequent shots are fired single action, with a lighter, shorter trigger pull. Given that the hardest thing about shooting a pistol is learning …


Handguns For Hard Times – Part 1, by Rufus King

What handgun should you have for hard times? Handguns tend to be a deeply personal thing, and people tend to be emotionally attached to their favorites. We all have different priorities and different levels of training and experience, so it can be difficult to talk about handgun selection, particularly online, without talking past one another. I have been seriously training in defensive handgunning for over 20 years. Back when I was a sworn law enforcement officer, I was a certified LE firearms instructor in my state. I average at least one professional training class per year. I teach NRA classes …


Inflation Will Settle Gold’s Future – Better Watch It Closely, by Arkadiusz Sieroń

Inflation continues to rise but may soon reach its peak. After that, its fate will be sealed: a gradual decline. Does the same await gold? If you like inviting people over, you’ve probably figured out that some guests just don’t want to leave, even when you’re showing subtle signs of fatigue. They don’t seem to care and keep telling you the same not-so-funny jokes. Even in the hall, they talk lively and tell stories for long minutes because they remembered something very important. Inflation is like that kind of guest – still sitting in your living room, even after you …


One Bug Out Bag Approach – Part 2, by J. Smith

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) For a 3-season blanket, I have a Snugpak Jungle Blanket. It is a modern version of the “woobie” poncho liner that is loved by American soldiers. It is anti-bacterial, windproof, and water-resistant. If you prefer the good-old woobie, then go for it. For an emergency blanket, don’t bother with the cheapo ones. Get an SOL (Survive Outdoors Longer) emergency blanket. Its construction using metalized polyethylene instead of mylar makes it much stronger, quieter, and will not shred apart. For a poncho, I suggest the US Style Helikon-Tex poncho. It is waterproof and …


One Bug Out Bag Approach – Part 1, by J. Smith

I would like to share my thoughts on the creation of a Bug Out Bag. (Or “BOB” for short.) I have refined my BOB based on my own camping experience, and the experience of others, especially survivalists and wilderness campers on Youtube. (The real ones, not phony Bear Grills types, LOL.) I will give credit for their ideas where it is due. A BOB is a personal thing, it should fulfill your short-term needs and, if you can spare the weight, a couple luxury wants. Additionally, you also have to consider the people you are bugging out with, such as …


The Stagflation Trap Will Lead To Universal Basic Income And Food Rationing, by Brandon Smith

This past week during a conference discussing Biden’s “Build Back Better” scheme House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was confronted with questions on skyrocketing inflation. After referring to higher gas prices as the “Putin Tax”, she went on to offer perhaps the dumbest (or most insidious) denial on the causes of inflation that I have ever heard. She stated: “When we’re having this discussion, it’s important to dispel some of those who say, well it’s the government spending. No, it isn’t. The government spending is doing the exact reverse, reducing the national debt. It is not inflationary.” Anyone with a basic understanding …


Repeater Down? Use Simplex Amateur Radio, by A.S.

Grid electricity down, WiFi down, Internet down! What to do? What kind of storm is coming? Are the stores open? Is my mother safe? Normally, you would tune into your local ham club’s repeater to communicate with fellow hams. A repeater is a dedicated radio (or set of radios) and antenna located in the highest spot available, such as a mountaintop or a building and can reach around 25-to-75 miles — depending on terrain. Repeaters receive signals from one frequency and transmit to another frequency using tones and offsets. They usually have a backup power system that can last a …


Nuclear Fallout: The Inverse Square Law, by Don Shift

What if I told you that it may be possible to survive radioactive fallout from a nuclear war without having a shelter? Bottom line up front: get inside, into an uncontaminated environment, and stay at least 10 feet away from the outside and your radiation exposure will be approximately 1/100th of the dose outside. Such a strategy, combined with the low likelihood of fallout for many Americans, could give those without basements, underground shelters, or ways of making improvised shielding a higher chance of survival. Radiation protection is achieved by time, distance, and shielding. Shielding we all know; dense stuff …


Tornado Preparedness, by SwampFox

You’ve been asleep for about an hour. The fan you keep on in your bedroom turns off, causing you to wake unexpectedly. You glance at your alarm clock on the nightstand and notice that the red numbers aren’t illuminated. Power outage. Unable to get back to sleep, you shuffle down the hall to the kitchen, and light a couple of candles. In the dim light you notice your housecat sitting on a chair, with wide eyes and twitching ears. She’s alert and disturbed. A strong wind is blowing outside, but then you hear something else. An unmistakeable, dull roaring, rushing …


Addictions: Now and During TEOTWAWKI, by Mrs. G.

It’s taken me a long time to write this, but I do so with complete understanding and enormous empathy. No judgment. It’s a plea to address some of the things that may cripple us should, as seems imminent, The End of The World as We Know It occurs. Things that can be very addictive include caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, sugar/carbs, prescription drugs, and miscellaneous unhealthy habits, some unholy, and others seemingly innocent like social media. I can honestly tell you that at one time or another I was addicted to all of the above, so I’m not just preaching at y’all. …


Using 10 Basic Knots – Part 3, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.) 11. NECK CORD KNOT This isn’t one of the 10 basic knots but since it’s nearly impossible to untie, it’s useful for tying a cord to hang around your neck for carrying a small ferro rod, hand lens, compass, or anything else small you don’t want to lose. The interesting part is that it’s just two intertwined overhand knots. I don’t know the real name of this knot and it’s not well known but I learned it many decades ago after reading a story in Newsweek about a new knot discovery (Photo …


Using 10 Basic Knots – Part 2, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 1.) 6. FIGURE-EIGHT KNOT I use this knot mostly as a “stopper knot” but occasionally for other uses as well. An overhand knot makes a good stopper knot but if it’s too small for the hole size, a figure-eight knot is the next step up. It’s similar to an overhand with one extra loop. Stopper knots are called that for their use on preventing a rope or cord from passing back out of the hole they’ve been pushed through. I use stopper knots to put handles on various items I make including the gift crate seen in …