Category: Contest

Top Concealed-Carry Handguns, by Deputy Dave

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Choosing a handgun is a very personal decision, and I hope that this article will provide information that will help make that decision easier. I want to start by saying that I have been an NRA Certified Firearms Instructor for the last 20 years as well as a part-time law enforcement officer. I have been carrying concealed for close to 30 years, almost all of it with a Glock 19. I have taught more than 2,500 students the course needed in Michigan to obtain a Concealed Pistol License. Since June 2020, the demand for my concealed carry class has been …


Wood-Fired Coffee Roasting – Part 2, by J.P.

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Preparation for Roasting Besides gathering all your equipment together, two skills need to be developed: 1.) Maintaining just the right amount of fire and 2.) “Nurturing” the beans with masterful strokes of the paddles. First, the fire. If you are blessed to be a master of the wood fire then this part will come easy. Most effective wood cooking fires are long on a good bed of coals and short on actual flame. Flame delivers short-lived heat and then it dies. You don’t want to be rebuilding your fire in the middle of a roast. Now let’s talk about what …


Wood-Fired Coffee Roasting – Part 1, by J.P.

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The following is a tale of friendship, beating the lockdowns, going head to head with the challenges, and coffee! Introduction If your primary interest in reading this post is to learn the intricacies of roasting coffee, then I’m confident you would do well to go online and learn from the experts. As well, exquisite coffee roasting probably doesn’t happen over an outdoor wood fire where inconsistencies abound. However, you may be intrigued to discover a host of other worthy reasons to indulge in this somewhat adventurous outdoor pursuit. Coffee roasting emerged as an afterthought to the boredom and separation resulting …


Your Smartbooks and Battlebooks, by G.P.

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During in-processing to Army Basic Training many years ago, my fellow trainees and I were issued two little books. They were cheaply-made and thin, about 3” x 5” with the longer dimension being their width. One had an orange paper cover, which was for all basic trainees. The other had a white cover, that was for trainees in the specialty of combat engineer. These were always to be carried in our pockets over the next three months. The contents of these pocket-sized books were cram sheets for the material we were supposed to be learning. They were the condensed and …


Modifying the Pelican 2620 HeadsUP Lite, by The Novice

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I was happily browsing through the wares in one of my favorite local thrift stores. This pleasant, inexpensive pastime has often led me to unexpected treasures. Most of my shirts, boots, books, small electronics, and a myriad of other useful items have originated as other people’s castoffs. On this particular day, on a shelf piled high with tired-looking cordless phones, slightly battered clock radios, and orphaned wall warts, something caught my eye. It was a well-worn headlamp, a Pelican 2620 HeadsUP Lite. I already had a Coast HX4 that I was quite pleased with (SurvivalBlog published my review of it …


The Art of Meal Stretching – Part 2, by Nurse Michele

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(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) I learned a long time ago that when the budget was particularly tight around our house if I stressed over it, I would see that stress reflected in my children. I tried, of course, to take the opportunity to display faith and trust in the Lord. There were times, I confess, that I stood firmer on my faith than at others. I remember one night in particular our car had broken down. There, in the freezing cold, on the side of a major highway in New Jersey, my kids and I stood …


The Art of Meal Stretching – Part 1, by Nurse Michele

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Meal stretching is the learned art of taking simple, low-cost ingredients and turning them into not just one appealing meal for your family, but with some careful planning and a few adjustments, several meals to meet your family’s needs. This is a subject I expect that most of us, at least SurvivalBlog readers, have already acquired a fair bit of knowledge. Sometimes it’s easy to assume then, that the ability to make one meal become three is all but ubiquitous. But recently something happened, making me re-think my assumption that folks at large are familiar with ways to help keep …


Writing Contest Prize Winners Announced: Round 91

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We’ve completed the judging for Round 91 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prize-winning authors are: First Prize: First prize is awarded to A.D.C. for: Kitting Out The Kalashnikov which ran in four parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 — posted November 5-8, 2020. He will receive: 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 …


I Survived Running for Office, by W.W.

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In light of the current political turmoil and contested election, some readers may be thinking of throwing their hat in the ring for elected office. I would like to share my experience of my candidacy for U.S. Congress for the 4th District of Pennsylvania in 2012. As you may recall this was the general election where Barack Obama was elected president and the Tea Party was quite active. I’ve earned a Bachelor’s Degree in History and have always been interested in the political process. Back in the 1990s I served on the executive committee of the Political Action Committee (PAC) …


Packing Antique Iron – Part 2, by The Lone Canadian

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(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER You now should have your holster and all the necessary pieces cut out. At this point there are a bunch of steps that need to be completed before final assembly. I’ll try to keep these all in the right order, or at least the order that I use, which has worked for me so far. Most of these steps require that the leather be damp/wet. Again, watching a few videos on the internet will help with understanding this process. Suffice it to say that for the following steps …


Packing Antique Iron – Part 1, by The Lone Canadian

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First, I better get an introductory disclaimer out of the way. I will be mentioning some different items and companies in this article. I am not associated with any of these companies, and do not receive any endorsements from these companies. These are simply products that I have found to work for me over the years. Now, we can get on to the main event. About 10 years ago, a friend of mine got me interested in antique firearms. I’ve owned a few different ones over the years. Even JWR has started Elk Creek Company, to deal exclusively in pre-1899 …


Eight Ways to Make Your Days Count, by Elli O.

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With the global pandemic, the inconclusive election results, the weird weather, and pending winter, it seems that some people are in a shopping frenzy, trying to prepare for their uncertain future. I believe they call it “topping off their preps”. Others, still, are doing very little to prepare. If you are reading this article then the reason for your inactivity is probably not denial of the possibly “end times”. It is very likely that you are just overwhelmed with everything that you think needs to be done RIGHT NOW! How can we stay motivated? How can we look at our …


Prepping When Physically Disabled and Low Income, by Just A Dad

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Each of us has our own trials, these need not keep us from accomplishing what is necessary. For the sake of you, the reader, my disability began when I was 11 years old with a major single-car accident. My spine decided to advance to Grade IV spondylolisthesis, it was not until I was in my late 20s that I found out it was congenital on my mother’s side. That said, after a few surgeries, months in the hospital, traction, full-body casts and learning to walk again, I decided to move forward with my life. I worked for close to two …


PM Your Body, by ChemEngineer

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Preventive Maintenance (PM) is a series of activities and procedures performed on machines to keep them in top shape and functioning properly over the long term. The body is a biological machine, and needs a certain amount of Preventive Maintenance (PM) to work well when it is needed to work. This is a compilation of some things that can be done to make that personal machine run better, ready for whatever tasks that it is asked to do. This is my list, I am not a medical professional so do not take it as that, and as always, mileage may …


Seed Saving Tips – Part 3, by St. Funogas

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(Continued from Part 3. This concludes the article.) Some seeds such as zinnias weigh as much as the chaff so I don’t even try to separate the two. Other seeds are both super tiny and very lightweight, such as chamomile, so these also are not worth trying to separate. In Photo 14, some of the actual seeds are circled in yellow while many more are hidden beneath the chaff. When I plant zinnias, I direct sow by tossing out handfuls and lightly raking them in.         PHOTO 14 – Zinnias (Mixed with Chaff) Photo 15 demonstrates how …