Category: Reader-Written Contributed Article

The Final Countdown: Last-Minute Readiness Checks – Part 2, by Michael X.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Water List This is an item for the first three days. This is super important and needs to be one of the first items confirmed. Check locations and condition of water sources: Bottled Water/Stored water containers Well water (power dependent) Lake water – are there containers to carry and larger containers to store lake water? Is there a rainwater collection option available? Is the Berkey/Filtered water system ready? Can the tub be successfully filled with water from the system before the power goes out or the line pressure is gone? Can I …


The Final Countdown: Last-Minute Readiness Checks – Part 1, by Michael X.

Hypothetically, (of course), assume for a moment that the proverbial fan has been hit. Now you have three days….or two weeks….or two months…until the consequences of the event hit where you are. Good luck guessing how long it takes to hit you. Are you as ready as you can be? Are you sure? How do you know? How and when it hits you, whatever it may be, may be based on three key things: the type/cause of disaster, your proximity to the disaster or populated areas, and the stability of your systems (electricity, water, fuel, and human support systems). THE …


Prepper Group Training: Indigenous Guerrilla Teams – Part 2, by Bulldog

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) The Challenge To understand why I feel we are lacking in our preparation of these men and women, let us look at only one necessary skill set, team radio communications. Certainly we could agree that it represents one of the key core elements critically necessary to prepper and survivalist groups. Yet, in most cases it is overlooked or minimized by group leadership. Instead, we relegate programming to the “commo guy” and hope that after stuff hits the fan (SHTF), group members will somehow magically demonstrate more interest. Please understand that I am …


Prepper Group Training: Indigenous Guerrilla Teams – Part 1, by Bulldog

I would like to begin my topic by examining two concepts. I feel both ideas illustrate the hearts and souls of many men and women within today’s prepper and survivalist communities. The first one is an analogy. Its origins have most been often attributed to Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. Lt. Col. Grossman’s premise was that all people can be placed into one of three groups; “sheep, sheepdogs, or wolves.”


A Response to a Question on .45 LC in .410, by Tunnel Rabbit

If, in desperate times we need to take risks that would in normal times be unacceptable and possibly extra legal with the extraordinary circumstances.  Examining the limits of the risks that we would consider to be acceptable would be an individual’s judgment call.  Some of the contents of one of my recent articles is predicated on the situation when and where we might be faced with in a future dystopian world where we would be forced to hunt in order to supplement our limited food source to avoid starvation.  Some of the methods involving firearms are not now, or should …


A Rifle is Not Enough – Part 6, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 5. This concludes the article.) The AKM Rifle If the rifleman is not well trained or is in no way mechanically inclined, this my favorite rifle that I know very well and will use exclusively in extreme cold weather. It is a rifle I can recommend to any one who would not be able to maintain the AR-15 rifle or any rifle. It is representative of the Cold War weapons and mentality. Again, the military spends about a week to train new recruits about how to maintain the AR-15 platform. The AKM (a modernized, stamped receiver AK-47) …


A Rifle is Not Enough – Part 5, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 4.) Barrel Length and Effectiveness The M4 Carbine with military 14.5-inch barrels and civilian 16-inch barrels were practical for the kind of police action tactics used in the Middle East where troops regularly deployed out of vehicles and in an environment where clearing buildings was necessary. And so their gear and weapons evolved to better suit those tactics. They did however discover that when in the open in the deserts of Iraq or shooting across canyons in Afghanistan their carbines were woefully inadequate. I will justify this opinion further and later in this article. The 20-inch barrel …


A Rifle is Not Enough – Part 4, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 3.) Suggested Low-Cost Replacement Parts Here are some suggested low-cost spares/replacement parts, available from Palmetto Stae Armory  (PSA): PSA Classic Lower Parts Kit, FDE PSA AR-15 Bolt Carrier Group 5.56 Full-Auto Nitride MPI – 516446953 $69.99 Everything but the lower receiver and parts associated with the lower half that includes the butt stock: PSA AR-15 Upper 5.56 16″ Carbine-Lgth 1:7 M4 Nitride MOE w/ Rear MBUS, BCG, & Charging Handle, $319.99 This might be the lowest-cost way to acquire all the replacement parts without buying an entire rifle. This blemished build kit has everything except the lower …


A Rifle is Not Enough – Part 3, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 2.) Slings Bottom line, a sling is a necessary part of the rifle. But it should be detachable, to suit particular situations. For those on a budget, Com-Bloc rifle sling will suffice. These are inexpensive, ruggedly built, and with the right swivels work on just about any rifle. If you can do better, then please do. But when building up an arsenal I would economize where possible so that the budget can buy more spare magazines, replacement parts, and ammo. Gucci is nice, but it saps precious funds away from more important items we might be willing …


A Rifle is Not Enough – Part 2, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 1.) PM and the AR-15 Rifle: Failure is the Best Teacher As I’ve mentioned in a previous SurvivalBlog article, the first five ARs that I ever fired all failed. All five were in what appeared to be like new condition. Four of them failed due to a lack of lubrication. The fifth one was a new rifle that had yet to be test-fired. It turns out it was a home build that was sold through an FFL, a local retail store as if it was a factory build, yet the parts used were sub-standard and the builder …


A Rifle is Not Enough – Part 1, by Tunnel Rabbit

In this six-part article, I’ll be covering a few of the areas concerning the AR-15 that are often overlooked and do not receive enough attention. This is an attempt to bring some considerations to the attention of new shooters before it is too late to correct an oversight. While this article is decidedly AR-15 rifle-centric, there will be other rifle platforms and alternative ammunition types mentioned. Please be advised that I am not a trained professional and I have no formal weapons training or formal education of any kind and have never been in the military. I speak only as …


Chelation After a Nuclear Event, by S.F.

Editor’s Introductory Note: For those who are not familiar, there is this general background, from the Infogalactic Wiki: Chelation therapy is a medical procedure that involves the administration of chelating agents to remove heavy metals from the body. Chelation therapy has a long history of use in clinical toxicology[1] and remains in use for some very specific medical treatments, although it is administered under very careful medical supervision due to various inherent risks.[2] Chelation therapy must be administered with care as it has a number of possible side effects, including death.[3] In response to increasing use of chelation therapy as …


Preparedness Logistics – Part 2, by 3AD Scout

Labels, Markers, and Tags I purchased a label maker to help mark our shelves, totes and other containers.  I am sure we have all run into a situation where we could not read some else’s handwriting that was scribbled on a piece of duct tape that over the years faded. Printed labels avoid this.  I can pick different color labels and sizes of labels as well.  So, for totes I use larger labels but when I label a drawer on a “parts” organizer I use very small labels.   I also use the label maker to identify what food is in our buckets, how much …


Preparedness Logistics – Part 1, by 3AD Scout

The science and practice of logistics is often defined as getting the right stuff, in the right quantity, to the right place at the right time.  For those who are preparedness-minded, logistics takes on additional nuances.  Unlike those in business and industry, where orders for goods drives the logistics process, Preppers are preparing for threats that have no pre-determined date, have many unknown impacts including time to recovery (if ever), and spatial impact.  Whereas a car manufacturer, who has an order for 100 cars knows they need 400 tires (not including the little donut spare).  Preppers have no idea how much of a …


Some Emergency Animal Care Experiences, by Hollyberry

Let me start out right away by saying I have absolutely no veterinarian training or any training in animal first aid. I am just an average person who lives miles from the nearest vet and has had many animals….dogs, cats, goats, rabbits, and fowl. I have had many health or injury issues to attend to over the decades and this is just what worked for my husband and I and hopefully you will never need any of this information! I also want to state that I have not received any money or discounts for recommending a product. If you own …