Jim, Can you store a handgun along with the ammo in the same ammo can providing you have the silica gel packs inside. – M. JWR Replies: Yes, but the ammo should be vapor isolated (with two layers of sealed Zip-Loc bags) from the lubricants on the pistol. (For fear of the lube deadening the primers.)
The Personal Survival Kit (PSK) is everywhere. If you Google it, up come 10,400,000 entries. What is it? Peace of mind, a force-multiplier, a breath-mint tin full of miracle producing ingredients, or maybe not! The PSK can be purchased ready-made online or in any camping store. These kits are diverse in contents and in price range, some being quite expensive. They are interesting but rarely are they exactly what any specific real-life survival situation requires. You will always have to add or subtract components in order to achieve the ideal kit. It is better to take the time and make …
Hello HJL and JWR, I was wondering if you could review and recommend the latest generation of rechargeable batteries available and a solar charger as well. I am leaning towards stocking up on rechargeable AA and AAA and the spacer packs that allow these sizes be used as C and D cell batteries. The vast array of options is overwhelming, and I am hoping someone with the expertise required can help. Thanks for all you do. Take care. – J.W. HJL Replies: I have chosen to use a modular route so that I have the flexibility to charge whatever I …
HJL Adds: TK4, age 13, wrote this as a homeschool project. In this article I am going to teach readers how to prepare a bug-out bag. This 13 year-old has had a bug-out bag for two years, and every year it grows better and better. I have put this article together with five main steps that are essential to any bug-out bag. I have listed the items that I have put into my bag and put them in order of necessity. Survival Essentials Here I am going to list the things that I deem are essential in my bag. However, …
In all the years I’ve been around knives, there are one or two things I’ve learned about what most people think about knives. It really depends on where you live, too. Many folks in the big cities see knives, including folding knives, as a weapon of last resort, and that isn’t wrong thinking by any stretch of the imagination. Folks who live in rural areas think differently about knives. Instead of a weapon, most see a knife as a tool to use in dressing out game. Then we have Preppers, living in the city or in the country. They see …
There was a time, many years ago, when I collected high-end custom knives. I designed several of the knives myself, and had a couple custom knife makers produce them for me. I was a real sucker for a beautiful hand-made knife; I still am. However, I didn’t want to use any of those beautifully crafted knives because, well, they were so beautiful. They were works of arts, and I didn’t want to see them get all scratched up. Oh sure, I had some custom knives that were “working” knives. I wasn’t afraid to put them to work or get the …
Route Security by Chuck S. was a good article, but I would add a few things: – Newer cars will have daylight running lights and some basic tools may be needed to disable them for real covert night travel. – If you can afford them, and practice using them, NVGs are great for covert night travel. – Relying on Fuel en route is a gamble. Ideally, carry the fuel you need to get to your destination. For that, you should have a fuel supply stored and rotated. Use proper storage containers and procedures for safety. Use fuel stabilizer to …
Dear Mr Rawles, I would like to comment on the letter entitled, “How to Travel as a Prepper When you are a Road Warrior.” I commend him for trying to be prepared when traveling, however I think he can easily be better prepared. When I travel I carry the following in a backpack. 1) LifeStraw portable water filter. This is for emergency use only. 2) Bottle of Polar Pure water disinfectant. Polar Pure is based on Iodine Crystals. Polar Pure never expires. It can purify up to 20,000 gallons of water. Note however, that you only want …
Much has been written regarding bug-out bags, vehicle choice and maintenance, weaponry and retreat locations but the one issue missing is how you are going to get there. There are numerous issues to consider in selecting your primary and alternate routes to your bug-out location and hopefully the following will assist in your route selection and maintaining security en route. Route selection can depend on numerous decision points such as fuel locations, traffic load, choke points and law enforcement roadblocks / checkpoints. Do the highway entry / exit points already have gates on them to close them off during inclement …
I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska and remember spending many afternoons in the basement due to tornado warnings and watches. Several times a year, we saw homes across town destroyed by the tornados. Seeing homes destroyed up close as an eight year old made an impression. After our first winter blizzard, Mom started prepping and established a corner in the basement with our food stuffs, books, toys, radio, flashlight, water and a mattress for us to sleep on. About two years ago, I gave up on living in the suburbs and moved 20 miles away in a rural area …
I still recall the days when most folks owned and used some type of D-cell flashlights, that held 2 of the big D sized batteries. And, while they were better than walking around in the dark, they didn’t throw a very bright light, nor was the light bright white – at best, they were yellow in color. And, to be sure, those old flashlight – that are still sold today – really used up the battery power in short order. I remember working as a cop, and using the Mag-Lite “police” flashlight, and the model I used (and I still own …
Good morning! Yesterday I received an order for Israeli bandages, ordered direct [from Israel], from: IsraeliFirstAid.com. I placed the order on 12/6/13 and received it 1/3/13. Not bad considering it was in international order/shipment. The bandages are well packaged, dated, vacuum sealed. I applied my own labels to them as these packages are in Hebrew and English, and would be a little hard to quickly decipher, particularly in a stressful situation. The prices are good and shipping was only $4 (see below). I ordered the following: 4″ Israeli Bandage with Pressure Bar 1 $5.79 USD $5.79 USD 6″ Israeli …
Fishing was born out of necessity for man to feed himself and his family. Over time it has evolved into a recreational pastime and moved away from a generational skill passed down from father to son. Food can so easily be acquired at your local convenience store that fishing has become a lost art form to most. If we ever find ourselves in a situation where we are lost, without food, or the world as we know it ends. It will be particularly important to know how to procure food for you and your family. The following information is on …
Who said prepping couldn’t be fun? Granted, prepping is something that should be taken seriously, but in our journey to prepare for a possible eventual catastrophe we can enjoy the ride. I think of it as setting up home, going camping and uniting the family all wrapped up in one. In my eagerness and urgent desire to see friends and family prepare for an oncoming disaster, either natural or manmade, I feel like I have frightened or overloaded them into inaction. Discouraged by my lack of persuasion I was reminded of one of Aesop’s fables where the Sun and the …
Back in the 1980s it seemed like every knife company was producing some sort of hollow handle “survival” knife, and the truth is, most were just junk – plain and simple. Oh sure, there were some good ones, however if you wanted a really good hollow handle survival knife, you had to go to one of the custom knife makers – and at that, there weren’t that many really producing this type of knife. I remember being at an auction one time in Colorado Springs, Colorado – and there was all manner of stuff up for auction. There was one …