Category: Self-Defense

Countering Drones – Part 1, by TacOps

Drones are a hot topic in the news. From drones flying over New Jersey, Coast Guard ships, and other areas, to drone use in Ukraine, these have concerned many people. From the perspective of many in the prepping community, the question is how to prepare for drone attacks in a TEOTWAWKI situation. In this article, I will highlight a brief history of drone use, a background on the overall situation concerning contemporary events with drones, current anti-drone applications, and how to ultimately prepare to counter-drone reconnaissance and/or direct attacks. A Brief History of Drones Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s), now commonly …


Get Ready for Tariff War 2 or World War 3

This brief essay serves as a reminder, for the new year. As we enter 2025, both geopolitics and global economics are displaying some profound changes.  The Ukraine war, the fall of Assad’s government in Syria, and the ongoing civil wars in Burma (aka Myanmar), Yemen, Sudan, South Sudan, and Ethiopia all have the potential to spill over into wider conflicts. Ditto for potential invasions in Taiwan and South Korea. Meanwhile, the rise of the BRICS trade bloc, the out-of-control U.S. National Debt, global debt as a whole, and the run-up of precious metals prices are all evidence of deep-seated economic …


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 …


G9 Defense 9mm EHP Ammo, by Thomas Christianson

G9 Defense 9mm External Hollow Point (EHP) Personal Defense Ammo offers a powerful self-defense round in a standard pressure loading (1480 FPS), or in a more powerful +P loading (1520 FPS). The flutes on the outside of the solid copper bullet create cavitation in liquids and soft tissue, thus transferring energy laterally upon impact. They do not create cavitation in solids, thus allowing the bullet to effectively penetrate barriers like drywall, glass, or sheet metal with minimal deflection or projectile deformation. At the time of this writing a 20-round box of either load cost $36.99 from www.g9defense.com . That is …


Top Priorities for Surviving the Coming Civil War, by Tunnel Rabbit

Introductory Note:  This brief article is a response to The Patriot Nurse’s latest video: How To Prepare For Civil War which was recently linked in SurvivalBlog Water Secure your fresh water source now. It is the most important thing you can do after getting right with God. If you only have access to a deep well, get a solar-powered water pump from such a place as Backwoods Solar or install an inexpensive Shurflo model number 9325 yourself. The Dankoff Slow Pump is ideal for surface water sources and can be set up to be portable. All of these water pumps …


Martial Arts in The Collapse: A Question of Limits – Part 3, by Dr. Joseph

(Continued from Part 2.  This concludes the article.) Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) typically involves fighting with boxing gloves and no shoes; classical systems usually have no hand gloves and no shoes. Fighting without shoes is totally unrealistic for street fighting, as footwear is worn everywhere in waking life, except perhaps the beach, and shoes, as the French savate system shows, can make kicks more dangerous, especially with steel-capped boots. But even worse is the use of boxing gloves for striking. This is done not for mercy to opponents, but to protect the hands, which can easily break from strikes to …


Martial Arts in The Collapse: A Question of Limits – Part 2, by Dr. Joseph

(Continued from Part 1.) The knives that I have in mind for fast draw, and for defeating unarmed Mixed Martial Arts types, are those that do not dangle in a sheath by one’s side, but rather sit tucked into the belt, such as the Afghan Khyber knife/Indo-Persian pesh-kabz (but not the sword versions, such as the otherwise excellent Cold Steel version), facon of Argentina (Cold Steel has a smart version of this), the Arkansas toothpick, and Scottish dirk. Cold Steel’s Marauder, has a 9-inch blade, 4.7 mm thick, and is used by pig hunters (see Gideonstactical, YouTube, “Pig Sticker OR …


Martial Arts in The Collapse: A Question of Limits – Part 1, by Dr. Joseph

The Death Spiral to Dark Age 2.0 In my previous article at Survivalblog.com, “After the Collapse – Dark Age 2.0: Melee Weapons,” I outlined the case for the coming collapse being many dimensions of severity greater than most survivalists and preppers suppose, leading to a situation of multigenerational collapse, the Mad Max scenario without the hot cars. There are, much like ancient Rome before the fall (or disintegration/decay), forces at work internally destroying the West, leaving it vulnerable and lacking in resilience to external shocks, such as nuclear war, and EMP events, either from intense solar storms or from enemy …


Handling Predators, by Hollyberry

Predators come in all shapes, forms, and sizes. Some have fur, feathers, or scales. Some of them walk upright among us. What exactly is a predator? As the name implies, they prey on a victim. Who doesn’t hum the theme to Jaws when stepping into the ocean? As soon as you enter the water, you become part of the food chain. Sharks are predators, we are the prey. When an animal preys upon another animal, it is usually not on a personal level, it’s to eat. Yes, sometimes dominance is involved. When humans prey on other humans, it’s all personal. …


Alternative and Improvised Weapons – Part 6, by J.M.

(Continued from Part 5. This concludes the article.) Fire I’ve saved what will probably be the most controversial type of weapon for last – the use of fire for self-defense. Humans have an instinctual fear of fire, so you can harness that fear by adding fire-based weapons to your potential arsenal. There are a number of such options you should consider, but be aware that carrying pretty much any of these during ‘normal time will most likely get you in trouble with law enforcement. Molotov Cocktail – This is any breakable container filled with flammable liquid with a soaked wick …


Alternative and Improvised Weapons – Part 5, by J.M.

(Continued from Part 4.) Blunt Force Projectiles Picking up something and throwing it at an attacker or game is another deep-seated instinct most people have, and it provides a number of additional options for weapons. A 9oz. projectile thrown at 45mph results in around 40 ft-lb of kinetic energy at impact, which is enough to break some smaller bones and cause a concussion. Throwing something accurately and hard enough to do damage requires a lot more practice than just swinging a club, but it can give you a stand-off capability to mitigate threats before they can get close to you. …


Alternative and Improvised Weapons – Part 4, by J.M.

(Continued from Part 3.) Tasers and stun guns are another type of disruptive weapon, but regulations regarding possessing them tend to vary widely. Tasers are generally gun-like devices that shoot barbs on wires to deliver a high voltage to the target’s body, while stun guns require direct physical contact to deliver the voltage. I’m not crazy about any weapon that requires you to get close enough to an attacker to touch them, but it might be useful in some scenarios or as a last ditch option. A useful type of stun gun is the Stun Pen ($17), which doesn’t look …


Alternative and Improvised Weapons – Part 3, by J.M.

(Continued from Part 2.) I’ve also got a smaller kit with just some very basic tools that fits in a wallet-size pouch (except for the Shomer-Tec saw) and weighs just 2.2oz, not including the .7oz trauma shears since I’m already carrying those in my FAK. It consists of: Wazoo tube wire saw w/1 extra titanium split ring (for handles) Shomer-Tec diamond bow saw Lever Gear Toolcard Pro (wrenches, cord cutter, additional screwdrivers, pry bar) Big Design Titanium Pocket Bits (I replaced the OEM split ring with a titanium one) Small 2” file from old multitool (on same split ring as …


Alternative and Improvised Weapons – Part 2, by J.M.

(Continued from Part 1.) Some Theory While most people instinctively understand the concept of ‘pick up something heavy and hit them with it’, it’s useful to understand some of the theory behind weapons in order to make more informed decisions about what to carry and how effective it can be. The goal of most weapons is to apply energy to the target, whether through simple impact force, penetration, explosion, chemical reaction or other methods. For impact weapons, Newton’s Law of motion say ‘Force = Mass x Acceleration’, which roughly translates to the heavier something is and the faster it’s moving, …