Notes for Wednesday – September 02, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 60 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $10,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools, and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  9. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  4. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 Lifestraws (a $200 value).

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 60 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Base Layers and the Differences- Part 1, by A.S.

Today there is a great deal of knowledge on the Internet and outdoor magazines about “layering”, so most people who are daily or frequent readers of SurvivalBlog would have a good understanding of using different layers to keep the human body neither too cold nor too hot. Either one will have life threatening consequences if not managed correctly away from urban areas. For the purpose of this article my intention is to explain, in layman’s terms, some of the finer points of using different base layer fibers and their properties, as well bring to attention a new space age fiber, namely Tencel, that utilizes the latest in technology. (There will be more on Tencel later.) Today, base layers come mostly in three different materials– wool/Merino, polypropylene, and cotton. (I steer away from cotton.), Sometimes manufacturers use mixes of two materials such as Merino and poly.

My experience in discussing this subject by the way is through my involvement over about 35 years in mountain rescue and bush survival. I am by no means an expert, but I have long time field use of what works and what does not. That being said, I will also explain what I use and why I use it for serious outdoor use. Of course this use applies to long-term SHTF use! So, let’s get started.

1. Polypropylene

The most common and inexpensive material is polypropylene, which is a by-product of the petroleum industry, and as such polypropylene sheet is manufactured from a propylene monomer (strands bonded with elastomer), using a relatively safe gas for the process. This in turn is a waste by-product that used to be burned off into the atmosphere, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Now the end product is used for clothing, and by far the biggest type of clothing where it is used is for thermal base layers. It is also used for cheap, dollar store clothing as a consequence. The more polypropylene used in products the more better help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As far as using the material for base layers, polypropylene is spun into fibers and then woven by machine onto a loom and then cut, dyed, and stitched. The benefits of using polypropylene as your base layer or next to skin layer is that the material, when wet, dries quicker than wool, merino, and cotton. For example, if you fall into a river while doing a crossing, which is a dangerous feat to do alone in winter as I have done, you will dry out quicker than if you were wearing merino, but using cotton as a base layer is worse! Cotton will kill you through hypothermia in such circumstances. However, the serious disadvantage with polypropylene is that it’s a plastic polymer, and if while drying out next to the fire that you started to keep warm it catches alight, you now run the risk of serious burns if you get sparks near it. Needless to say, wearing a plastic base and getting these burns will really ruin your day when you’re miles from anywhere, so bear that in mind when selecting this material as your base layer, although sometimes you can find a mix of cotton and polypropylene, though that’s just as bad in my opinion. However, the material has good wicking ability and breathability, along with good insulating properties. This is a viable low-cost option for people starting out or on a fixed budget, and it dries very quickly when wet, but it feels “colder” than Merino or other wool base layers. My recommendation is avoid polypropylene, if at all possible.

2. Merino

Merino is the process of refining raw wool from Merino ewes and then spinning and weaving the wool into light but very durable garments. Note that Merino wool is very different from other wool types. Merino is soft and has low or no itch, which is common with coarse wool of nearly all other types of sheep. Merino wool is just as light per gram in weight as other garment fibers such as nylon, cotton, rayon, and others. Also, the benefit of using Merino for a base layer is the well-known insulating properties of wool. Merino though has the extra ability of being very light when worn next to the skin while trapping warm air molecules between the wool and your mid layer. When worn with a merino base layer and a mid layer on top, you will get the feeling of maximum instant warmth. Going back to the falling in the river scenario, Merino wool base layers will keep you warm while being wet. Even soaking wet, the base layer can be dried off near a camp fire and will not go up in smoke like the polypropyline base will, not to mention the benefit of having the risk of serious burns to your skin eliminated. Also, Merino has the ability to stretch to a high degree. For example, I normally am a 40-inch waist in jeans and cargo pants, but with the Merino base layer I use a size “L”. So take care when buying a Merino base layer to allow for the stretch and for a better fit as a next to skin layer. Note also the Merino wool base layer, when held up to the light, will appear very thin. Merino by its nature is a very thin wool fiber compared to other wool fiber, so don’t be alarmed if the strands don’t seem strong or warm; the contrary is true. Note:there are other heavier wool base layers, such as the surplus thermal base layers, but many people are allergic to the heavier wool thermal layers, so next we come to the late player to enter the market..

3. Tencel

Tencel® is the registered trade name for lyocell, which was developed over the last two years. It’s a biodegradable material made with wood pulp from sustainable tree farms (eucalyptus). Tencel textiles are created though the use of nanotechnology in an award-winning closed-loop process that recovers or decomposes all solvents and emissions (99.5 percent). The greatest benefits are the variety and exceptional comfort you can experience with Tencel clothing. The wood pulp cellulose comes from waste trees from countries that suffer soil degradation and that will not grow normal, slower growing hardwoods and native timbers in subropical climates. Fabric sold under this brand specifically is often mixed with other fibers, such as Merino, silk, and cotton. Being made using wood fiber, it has the inherent well-known insulative properties of wood. Combine this aspect with Merino wool, and you have a product that is warm, easily washable, long lasting, and does not have the property of being flammable. For example, in the last two years there has been more thermal layers coming on the market that combine Merino wool (60 percent), Tencel (30 percent), and Elastane (10 perent); this gives the fabric more stretch and ability to keep shape after being washed in a normal washing machine. Tencel itself is anti-bacterial and will absorb 50 percent of its weight in water, making it ideal for mixing with wool. It is wrinkle resistant and has a very smooth, silky feel to it, which is great news for millions of people who cannot tolerate the itch of wool on the skin. Many, many people are allergic to wool on bare skin, but adding Tencel with Merino eliminates the itchy feel and allows the skin to breathe naturally. What are the disadvantages of Tencel? It will shrink 3% in the first wash but have after that have no shrinkage and the material is more costly to produce than other fibers but will pay for itself in longevity. (I have used my Merino/Tencel thermal layers for consistent winter use for the last two years with minimal signs of wear.)

Recommendation for Layering

My personal recommendation for layering when hiking or going bush is generally using four layers– a base layer (against the skin), a close body layer, a mid layer, and an outer shell layer. For example, I usually wear the following:

Remember you can cool down or keep warm by removing a layer as you see fit. Body core cooling must be avoided at all costs due to hypothermia, and sweating must be avoided also. Even with all of these layers I use it makes for very light clothing, allowing for maximum enjoyment of the outdoors without big bulky clothing such as heavy bonded fleece jackets and work type clothing that one normally finds in Kmart and other big box stores.

Conclusion

So when selecting your next SHTF thermal base layer or just hitting the trail on your upcoming adventure to try out some of your latest preps, try using Merino wool with Tencel as a base layer; I guarantee you will be surprised at the lack of itch, the warmth, and the great feel of using Tencel with Merino, plus you are doing something for our planet! I haven’t discussed pants and how to layer for your legs. That comes in part two, so stay tuned for further reading about Tencel. Blessings

Economics and Investing:

China fooled the world, and now comes the Great Unwinding – G.G. (May require an account to read the article.)

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From 9/1, France bans cash payments over 1000 euros (previous limit was 3000) – G.G. (Google translated version)

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The rise and fall of the American homeowner: Current homeownership rate is back to where it was 50 years ago.

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Items from Mr. Econocobas:

Central Banks Can’t Save the Markets From a Crash. They Shouldn’t Even Try – The first section of this is pretty good, but after that it starts venturing off topic.

Video: Greg Hunter Interview with Jim Sinclair-Silver Will Be Gold On Steroids In Coming Rally

Readers’ Recommendations of the Week:

Movies

April 9th In Danish subtitled with English, covering the German Invasion of WW2. One note is that just because strategic surprise has been achieved doesn’t mean you can’t work to get the tactical advantage back.

Admiral In Dutch subtitled with English. Absolutely stunning visuals. Covers Dutch republic in its war against Germany, France, England.

Books

I also read had the chance to read the Knights Templar trilogy by Jack Wythe. I suggest all three–Kights of the Black and White, Standard of Honor, and Order in Chaos. While reading I discovered where Friday the 13th comes from and the term “black balled”. In the third, it touches on the changes of the world and the world of the Templars collapsing around them. Just because the TEOTWAWKI has happened doesn’t mean that life doesn’t continue.

– CD who has escaped Northern VA.

Odds ‘n Sods:

South Dakota drops teaching high schoolers about American revolution, founding documents – B.B.

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IRS Could Not Verify 40% Of $15 Billion Of Affordable Care Act Tax Credits Due To Lack Of Data From Health Insurance Exchanges – PLC

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FLIR ONE thermal imaging camera review – G.P.

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President Warns Nation Of Massacre And Death – Scenes Of Plundering In The Streets, Empty Shelves And Mile Long Lines Should Have Americans Preparing For The Worst – B.B.

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From Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlogs Editor At Large: some finer Form 4473 points

Notes for Tuesday – September 01, 2015

September is Kilted to Kick Cancer Month. It was a wise move, not picking January. (Brrrr!) September is also National Preparedness Month.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 60 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $10,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools, and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  9. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  4. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 Lifestraws (a $200 value).

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 60 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

EMP Protection For Electronic Safe Locks, by PrepperDoc

1

Like many preppers, I have a safe with a digital lock that I purchased before I understood EMP, and I would now like to have some protection for that lock against the E1 component of an EMP attack. (Because the lock is not attached to any very long wires, the E3 component is not an issue.) I present here a simple technique that may provide significant (although imperfect) protection and which is amenable to becoming a commercial product by a motivated individual (and I freely give away the idea). Such additional protection would be expected to raise the probability that I won’t have to hack into my own safe after an EMP event.

The accompanying photo shows a swath of household aluminum foil simply pressed over my digital lock and held in place with a rubber band. The outer portions are hand-pressed to lay as flat as possible against the painted surface of the metal safe door. If you are careful, you can remove and re-install it several times. A bit of structure provided by some masking tape around the lock would probably make it last even longer. As I will demonstrate both by theory and experiment, even this simple system is likely to be of significant help, increasing the probability that your lock will not be harmed. Also, it could very easily be manufactured and a far better version sold at a profit by an enterprising person. Create a steel mold a bit larger than the typical electronic lock by grinding away at a slice of a steel rod. Take 1/16″ aluminum or steel and hammer it to fit over the mold (the “bubble”) to have a fairly flat circular “brim” around the “bubble” that can lay flat against the safe front. Add a bit of the thinnest Velcro fabric you can find to secure it to the safe (possibly even indenting a spot or two in the “brim” so the “hat” will lay as flat as possible to the safe. It’s done. Now, market it!

Because electronic locks may be relatively small with short wires, presenting a small “aperture” to receive E1 energy, some may actually already be relatively resistant to EMP. There are commercial locks available for under $200 that have been shown to be unaffected by “simulated EMP”[1]. However, my particular low-end lock hasn’t been tested to my knowledge, and there would be a gunsmith charge on top of the purchase price to put a tested lock in place. That would raise the total cost beyond my mid-range safe’s value. Hence, I pursued this attempt to protect my existing lock. (In case you’re wondering, yes, I have the ability to break into that safe.)

If you aren’t interested in a lot of electrical engineering discussion, immediately skip down to the last section on experimental confirmation.

What is the electromagnetic threat signature of the E1 attack? The milspec “test” waveform (See Figure 1 of Ref. [1] ) that is used to simulate an E1 (hopefully similar to the real thing!) is a very rapidly rising and falling pulse (a few nanoseconds) creating a very high voltage/field, which has a frequency spectrum that is fairly constant (and large) from very low frequencies, up to about 10 MHz, and then declines as it moves from there higher. (See Figure 2-15 of Reference [2]). At 1 GHz the simulated spectrum is three orders of magnitude weaker than it is at 10 MHz, which would suggest that the primary goal should be to protect against “short wave” frequencies and lower. Note, however, that the actual observed signal (See Figure 3-1 in Reference [2]) has many very fast “ripples” and therefore may have more potent microwave energy than the simulation test signal; so, good microwave protection may also be important. As I will attempt to argue, my suggested solution probably provides significant (but not total) protection at these frequencies of interest.

To actually calculate the resulting electromagnetic field versus time, or measure the exact protection such a device would provide to my electronic lock would be quite a computer or measurement feat. (Hint: This would be a great thesis for a Masters’ student in Electrical Engineering.) However, one of the things I learned during my training in electromagnetics and electrical engineering was to hunt for similar problems that did have a known solution. In this case, the “brim” of the cover, together with the steel door of the safe, acts like a very thin waveguide for the transmission of electromagnetic waves. This effective waveguide has “defective ends” because it never makes connection laterally to the safe door but to very small wavelength (high microwave) signals, and it resembles an infinitely wide but not very tall (about 1/8″) waveguide. Also, when looked at from the lower-frequency circuit designers’ viewpoint, if the entire system is about 12″ in diameter with a 6″ diameter central bubble, the brim has a surface area of about 85 square inches approximately 1/8″ or less from the safe door, and therefore has roughly a capacitance of >150 picofarads, representing an impedance of about a thousand ohms at 1 MHz and 10 ohms at 100 MHz, 1 ohm at 1 Ghz. That’s not a really low impedance but not an open circuit either; it helps to make the shielding effect better at higher frequencies in the circuit designer’s view.

Let’s further examine the waveguide analogy to the brim. Waveguides are widely used to transport electromagnetic energy from transmitters to antennae. However, they are usually used only for microwave (>1 Ghz) signals, because of the problem of “waveguide beyond cutoff.” That is, if the dimensions of the waveguide aren’t at least the size of one wavelength of the signal to be transported, the waveguide can’t maintain the most common electromagnet field (the TE10 wave), and transport fails. In our case, we don’t have a normal “waveguide”, but our system resembles one that is very thin (say, 1/8″) and wide (about 12″ wide), about the size of a 1 Ghz wave, suggesting that our hat brim may function well to impede the transmission of signals below 1 GHz from the outside to the area of the bubble (where the lock is located). This is an approximation, of course. This is not going to be perfect isolation; with elaborate test equipment one would likely quantify the leakage level, but it will be much better than doing nothing at all. I’ve used this trick before (with real waveguide) to get connections into and out of a microwave cavity, but to completely block microwave energy from escaping. It worked perfectly in that instance, even when probed by a nosey biomedical safety officer. So I think it has a good chance in this instance also. It’s certainly far better than nothing! It is true that “slots” in waveguide can be used as actual antennas (suggesting EMP energy could slip through), but it only works if the slot is on the order of one wavelength. So, again our system may significantly impede energy below 1 Ghz.[4]

If you wanted to possibly improve the shielding at very low frequencies, one trick would be to sand the paint off a small area (maybe one square inch) of the front of the safe and have a copper brush affixed to the aluminum shield that would make contact at least at that one spot. This will be most helpful below 1 MHz. I didn’t test this.

SafePhoto

One disadvantage of this proposed solution (and an option for improvement) is that it does not directly provide magnetic shielding. However, in air the magnetic field is related to the electric field via physical constants. Knocking down the E field by conductive shielding (this solution) will cause both the resultant E and H fields on the inside to be reduced. However, there’s an improvement for this also! If you construct the shield out of a ferrous substance (e.g., steel) and provide brush contacts at say three points, you probably add significant magnetic shielding as well. I have not tested this at all.

Experimental Confirmation of Simple Shield

To test this protective system, my wonderful wife performed a test with an AM broadcast band radio receiver that suggests this idea actually works. My biggest concerns were at frequencies < 1 MHz. The portable radio picked up a strong signal from a local 5kW AM radio station about eight miles away, which is well within the local published range, at a frequency just under 1 MHz. The signal had no static, showing a very high signal to noise ratio. Plastering the radio up against the painted, non-conductive safe using aluminum foil with a “brim” of approximately 4″ reduced the station’s strength down into the static, just barely notable. Since AM radios have “automatic gain control”, it is not easily possible to measure the actual shielding level. This suggests a very significant amount, probably > 20 dB. [That is merely an educated guess from years of Ham radio experience.] Note that no attempt was made to directly, physically connect the foil to the safe. Although this is clearly not perfect shielding, by significantly reducing the field that reaches my electronic lock, it may significantly increase the probability that it escapes unharmed from an EMP event. A final suggestion is that if you do not anticipate needing to re-enter the safe for quite a while, it would be wise to use aluminized a/c duct tape to simply tape down the edges of the lock cover. A similar improvement has been tested on garbage can Faraday shields with very significant improvement.[5]

REFERENCES

References


[1] Dayton T. Brown, Inc., Electromagnetic Susceptibility Test Program Performed on Eight Lock Assemblies, accessed at: http://www.libertysafe.com/images/downloads/SGEmpTesting.pdf


[2] Savage E, Gilbert J, Radasky W. The Early-Time (E1) High Amplitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) and Its Impact on the U.S. Power Grid. Accessed at: http://www.ferc.gov/industries/electric/indus-act/reliability/cybersecurity/ferc_meta-r-320.pdf [Note: this is a very extensive reference on the characteristics of the EMP induced wave.]


[3] Waveguide Cutoff Frequency, accessed at: http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/antennas/waveguide/cutoff-frequency.php


[4] Wade, P. W1GHZ Microwave Antenna Book, Chapter 7: Slot Antennas. Accessed at: http://www.qsl.net/n1bwt/ch7_part1.pdf


[5] disasterprepper. EMP Trash Can Faraday Cage Testing in Lab. Accessed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3S2KDuVxaU

Letter Re: Fishing Pliers

Hello,

I would like to respond to the question about reliable fishing pliers. First, let me give you my experience with the subject. I have been a hunting and fishing guide for over thirty years, and for the last nine I’ve been a fishing guide for salmon in Alaska. While I have tried many types and brands of fishing pliers over the years, I have yet to find a pair that I would be excited about. However, there is one pair/brand I would not recommend, and that is Mustad fishing pliers. This summer while king salmon fishing I had a pair break (see attached photo) while removing a hook from a king salmon. I tried twice to email the company through emails provided on their website to which I received no response. I went to their Facebook page and again sent a message and again had no response. So to say their customer service was less then good is an understatement. Needless to say they will be the last Mustad product I will purchase. Sorry that I do not have a recommendation for a quality pair of fishing pliers. If I come across a pair that I find to be great, I will let you know. Thanks – M.Y.

News From The American Redoubt:

An incredible video of an ultralight flight through Bull River Valley ending at the Forrest Bird Museum. – T.T.

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From Snake River Shooting Products: Need to take down a drone? A munitions company offers firepower

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Wyoming man files suit over massive EPA fines for building pond – B.B.

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Amateur Repeaters Fall Victim to Washington Wildfire – John Jacob of Radio Free Redoubt

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A recent video from our friend, Wranglerstar, shot at and near the Columbia River: The Amazing “Super Scooper” Firefighting Plane (Wranglerstar is one of our favorite video bloggers.)

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Active Fire mapping – R.W.

Odds ‘n Sods:

For a moment there I thought I was reading the plot line of a “Dirty Harry Movie”: 600 police gunshots during Stockton bank robbery were ‘excessive,’ report says – T.P.

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How America can be saved from stupid people – J.C.

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May you never find yourself in this situation, but if you do: Urban foraging — if you’re still stuck in the city when disaster strikes – D.S.

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The editor of the Weaponsman blog suggested a video that incorporates some good tips: Saturday Matinee 2015 35: Uncertain Tomorrow (Web pilot, 2015)

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China Rocked By Another Massive Chemical Explosion – GJM

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks – It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men.” – Samuel Adams

Notes for Monday – August 31, 2015

August 31st, 1992 is the day that Randy Weaver surrendered to the Federal Authorities, ending the 10 day siege on Ruby Ridge. This is the incident that preceded the Waco siege and is known for the unconstitutional rules of engagement and overzealous actions by the jack booted thugs of the federal authorities that resulted in the death of two innocent people– Sammy and Vicki Weaver, Randy’s son and wife. It is notable that Randy was acquitted of all charges except missing a court date and violating bail conditions on an ATF sting operation where it is suspected that Mr. Weaver did nothing wrong but that the ATF informant altered the shotguns sold to him by Weaver resulting in Weaver’s arrest. In addition, the missed court date was due to clerical errors on behalf of the court. All involved Federal agencies were publicly reprimanded, and the state of Idaho attempted to press charges against some individuals for their actions but were stymied due to federal interference.

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SurvivalBlog’s economics editor, Mr Econocobas, needs some help due to his travel schedule, so we are now actively seeking a part-time economics editor. You would only be in it for the glory plus a few free books and a nice birthday present each year. The ideal candidate to fill this role would be someone with a strong economics background and sagacious discernment, someone who already combs the global economic news several days a week for other reasons and is retired or semi-retired. Email us if you are interested. – HJL

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We are now halfway through Round 60 of the SurvivalBlog writing contest. If you have been wanting to write about a project you have been working on or have a desire to share some of your knowledge with others, this is an excellent opportunity to submit it to us. Don’t forget that we now will publish pictures if you submit those with your article! Follow the directions on our contest writing page and submit it to us soon to get entered in this round of the contest. For those who have already won in the past, make sure you also check the contest page. You may be eligible to win again, depending on what prize you won and how long it has been. Those who made honorable mention in the past have no restrictions on winning other than the regular rules. – HJL