o o o
While the Dad/son duo fight the FAA over their right to mount a flame thrower or a pistol on a drone a couple of Finnish farmers have attached a chain saw to one. – T.P.
o o o
WikiLeaks: Says “We Have Upcoming Leaks About Hillary”
o o o
Judge Jeanine: Does Loretta Lynch think we’re stupid? – M.T.
o o o
Along those same lines of thought comes this article on Town Hall about the disregard of law by our nation’s elites.
“He who dares not offend cannot be honest.” – Thomas Paine
As Americans go through the motions of celebrating the remnants of our once preciously cherished liberty whilst in the throes of presidential election campaign, we are reminded that it is high time to pluck a few chickens and warm up the tar pot.
Independence Day is also the birthday of Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) and of General Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807–1882) – JWR
I’ve known many of the folks at Benchmade Knives for more than 20 years. It is a credit to the company that there isn’t a very big turnover in those folks that I’ve worked with over the years. At some companies it seems like the turnover is like a revolving door. I’ve been friends with Benchmade’s own Les d’Asis for more than 20 years now, and he’s one of the nicest guys around. One thing I’ve often commented about with Les is that he isn’t a suit and tie type of guy, like me. Last time I put my suit on was when my oldest graduated college– 12 or 13 years ago.
I’ve toured the new Benchmade plant several times, and I’m well overdue for another tour; they have grown. They would like to grow faster, however, you just can’t walk in the door and get hired. They require highly skilled personnel to operate the CNC machines, assemble the knives, inspect and especially design their knives. They do very few collaborations with custom knife makers . Most knives are designed in-house.
Benchmade has gone through several PR/marketing people over the years, and at one time they even used an outside PR firm, which didn’t work out. For the past couple of years, I’ve been dealing with Derrick Lau, who is their PR guy, and he puts up with all of us “worthless” writers always hounding him for samples for articles. When a knife is available, Lau gets a sample right out to me. Other times, I hound him to death for a particular knife that isn’t in production just yet, and he puts up with me, somehow!
Benchmade produces H&K knives, under license. This is important, because you will see many H&K products and knives on the market that are not licensed by the gun maker, and they are of poor quality and more often than not made some place in China. As soon as this is discovered and papers get served, the store front address closes down, only to open some place else. It is a never-ending problem with pirated products made in China! If you want a genuine, licensed H&K knife, then seek them out at Benchmade.
The updated H&K Entrourage that I tested is an automatic opening folder. I’m blessed that I live in an enlightened state that allows one to carry automatic opening knives. We have Hollywood to “thank” for the term “switchblade” knives, and I’m not even sure what that term actually means. Of course, Hollywood has demonized automatic opening knives, where the bad guys use them most of the time in the movies. Look, an automatic opening knife, in my humble opinion, doesn’t open any faster than many manually opening folders or assisted-opening folders. I can usually draw a manually opening folding knife from my pocket and fling the blade open faster than I can do the same with an automatic opening folder, because I have to take an extra moment to find the button to push to open the blade. An automatic opening folder is just a bit more convenient for many people, but it is no more “deadly” than any other folding knife.
A quick look at the Entourage finds a 3.74-inch blade made out of D2 tool steel with a Tanto-style blade. It can also be had with a drop point blade. The blade is also blackened with a Ti-Ni finish, subdued! The knife only weighs 4.64 ounces, and closed it is only 4.70 inches, or opened it’s 8.44 inches. Rockwell hardness on the blade is 60-62, which is about par for D2 tool steel knife blades. D2 tool is hard to work with, but when the blade grind is perfect it will hold an edge an incredibly long time. There is also a sliding safety on the top of the handle that locks the blade in the closed position, so there are no worries about it accidentally opening in your pocket. Plus, once the button is pushed to open the blade for use, you can slide the safety back to the “safe” position to give the blade that added safety of keeping it locked open.
The anodized black aluminum handle scales now have an insert made out of tough G10 material for an even better grip on the knife, plus grooves milled into the handle scales, once again giving you a better hold on the knife under all sorts of conditions.
There are friction grooves on the rear and back of the handle scales. This is just another feature that keeps the knife secure in your hand, and it also adds a great feel when using the knife in the reverse hold, too. We have a pocket/clothing clip that can be switched from one side to the other, and the blade is carried tip-up. I used to prefer one method of carry over the other– tip-up or tip-down carry . Any more, it really doesn’t matter to me. One is just as fast/good as the other. Lastly, there is a lanyard hole in the back of the handle, for attaching a lanyard loop of 550 para cord. This is a good idea if working over water!
You can also have the Entourage with a partially serrated blade, and this is outstanding when cutting rope or opening cardboard boxes. It really cuts right though these materials, and if that’s not enough, you can have your Entourage blade out of 440 stainless steel. As of late, Benchmade is allowing customers to, well, customize knives from the factory. You can even get some engraving done, again, at the factory.
Many may not realize that some of the automatic folding knives that Benchmade manufactures are authorized for military use. They have an NSN (National Stock Number) and are sold through the PX on military bases. It takes quite a bit to earn that NSN, believe it or not. It isn’t just given to any product.
I did like the slightly over-sized button that you press to release/close the blade. Some auto opening folders have a very small button that is recessed too deeply into the handle scales, making it harder to get the blade to open. Plus, Benchmade auto-opening folders all have a very stout coil spring that really flings that blade open. Some companies have a very anemic spring that oftentimes doesn’t have enough power to always open the blade all the way, which is not a good thing, eh?
As to be expected, the H&K Entourage came without any blemishes. It was perfect in all respect. The grind lines were perfect, finish was perfect, and everything was perfect. I expect no less from Benchmade products. To be sure, quite often, Benchmade knives are out-of-stock. They have a difficult time keeping up with supply and demand. It has been this way for as long as I can remember. Remember though, Benchmade is a little bit picky about the folks they employ; they want the best and wait for the best, even if that means some products are in short supply!
I opened and closed the Entourage hundreds and hundreds of times, and the blade never once failed to fully open. There was no hesitation at all. The tension on the pivot pin was just perfectly adjusted from the factory, too. I carried the knife for several weeks in my right front pocket with the pocket/clothing clip. The knife stayed put, which is something that doesn’t always happen. Some clips are too loose, knives come out, and you lose them.
The H&K was used for all manner of cutting chores around my small homestead, and it sailed through everything I put the blade to. Additionally, the blade didn’t dull in the least. As I stated, D2 holds an edge a good long time. However, it is a little harder to re-sharpen but well worth the effort. D2 isn’t a “stainless” steel, thus the Ti-Ni black coating on the blade to protect it from rusting; however, D2 doesn’t rust very easily to start with.
Benchmade has my number when it comes to blade length in a folding knife. I like a blade between 3.5 inches to 4.0 inches, and the 3.75-inch blade seems perfect for my tastes. The Entourage hit the mark with the 3.74-inch blade length.
There wasn’t anything I didn’t like about the Entourage in the least. It hit all my hot buttons in a folding knife, plus it is an auto-opening folder. What’s not to like here? Full retail is $200. Yeah, it’s a bit steep, but you are getting Benchmade quality and their limited lifetime warranty, too. When you carry a Benchmade, you are also wearing/carrying something of a badge of honor, too.
– Senior Product Review Editor, Pat Cascio
This year’s Independence Day celebrations have been muted by news of the enactment of six tyrannical new gun, ammunition, and magazine laws in California.
California’s leftist legislature in now crowing about how they “did something” in response to the Islamic terror attack in San Bernadino last year. Six of 10 new “Gunmeggddon” laws that they passed were just signed into law by Democrat Governor Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown.
Courtesy of the NRA-ILA, here is a summary of Governor Brown’s actions:
SIGNED BOTH– Assembly Bill 1135 and Senate Bill 880 will make changes of monumental scale to California’s firearm laws by reclassifying hundreds of thousands of legally owned semi-automatic rifles as “assault weapons”. This legislation effectively outlaws magazine locking devices, more commonly known as “bullet buttons”. These are constitutionally protected firearms that have no association with crime. These changes would happen quickly with great individual costs to many gun owners and without public notice. Governor Brown vetoed similar legislation in 2013.
SIGNED Assembly Bill 1511 effectively ends the long-standing practice of temporarily loaning a firearm for lawful purposes. Under this legislation, the ability to loan a firearm to anyone other than a family member would now be prohibited unless conducted through a dealer, absent very narrow and limited exceptions. A simple loan to a trusted friend for a few days would take almost a month to complete from loan to return, requiring two background checks, two 10-day waiting periods, two fees, and multiple trips to a gun dealer. The result of the misguided legislation will turn otherwise law-abiding citizens into criminals simply for borrowing or storing a firearm with a friend.
VETOED – Assembly Bill 1673 would have expanded the definition of “firearm” to include unfinished frames and/or receivers that are “clearly identifiable as being used exclusively as part of a functional weapon”. Depending on how this vague terminology is interpreted, AB 1673 would have treated pieces of metal as firearms, subjecting them to California’s exhaustive regulations and restrictions currently applicable to firearms.
VETOED – Assembly Bill 1674 would have expanded the existing one handgun a month law to include ALL guns, including those acquired through a private party transfer. AB 1674 will have no impact on criminal access to firearms and instead significantly hamper law abiding individuals, causing increased costs, time and paperwork to purchase multiple firearms. Criminals will continue to ignore this law purchasing firearms illegally, ignoring this burdensome and ineffective restriction.
SIGNED – Assembly Bill 1695 will create a 10-year firearm prohibition for someone convicted of falsely reporting a lost or stolen firearm. The NRA does not oppose making it a misdemeanor to knowingly file a false lost or stolen report to law enforcement. Our reason for opposition is related to the restriction of a constitutional right for the conviction of a misdemeanor offense.
VETOED – Assembly Bill 2607 would have expanded the class of individuals who could seek a Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO).” The NRA opposes the current GVRO procedures because they provide a mechanism for an individual to lose the right to keep and bear arms with no due process of law. AB 2607 would compound these problems by significantly expanding the classes of individuals who could seek a GVRO. This expansion would now include employers, coworkers, mental health workers, and employees of secondary and post-secondary schools.
VETOED – Senate Bill 894 would have required a victim of a crime to report to local Law Enforcement the theft of a firearm within an arbitrary time requirement of five days and the recovery of the firearm within 48 hours. Governor Brown has twice vetoed similar legislation stating, “I was not convinced that criminalizing the failure to report a lost or stolen firearm would improve identification of gun traffickers or help law enforcement disarm people prohibited from possessing guns. I continue to believe that responsible people report the loss or theft of a firearm and irresponsible people do not.”
SIGNED – Senate Bill 1235 will place unjustified and burdensome restrictions on the purchase of ammunition and would require the attorney general to keep records of purchases. This legislation would further require any online ammunition sales to be conducted through a licensed vendor. First and foremost, the reporting of ammunition sales has already been tried – and failed – at the federal level. Throughout the 1980s, Congress considered repeal of a federal ammunition regulation package that required, among other things, reporting of ammunition sales. In 1986, the director of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms supported eliminating the reporting requirement, stating: “The Bureau and the [Treasury] Department have recognized that current record keeping requirements for ammunition have no substantial law enforcement value.” As a result, the Firearms Owners Protection Act of 1986 repealed the ammunition restrictions, with little opposition to the removal of that requirement. SB 1235 will similarly fail to reduce violent crime, as a law requiring the registration of ammunition purchases by honest citizens will not deter criminals. Governor Brown has twice vetoed similar legislation.
SIGNED – Senate Bill 1446 bans the simple possession of ammunition feeding devices/magazines that are capable of holding more than 10 cartridges. The federal “large-ammunition feeding device” ban of 1994-2004 was allowed to sunset due in part to its ineffectiveness. Yet, California anti-gun legislators still are persisting with this ban knowing that the congressionally-mandated study concluded that “the banned guns were never used in more than a modest fraction of all gun murders” before the ban and the bans 10-round limit on new magazines was not a factor in multiple-victim or multiple-wound crimes.
o o o
Hundreds of thousands of guns that were previously legal will become contraband. Magazines numbering at least in the hundreds of thousands and probably in the millions will become contraband, with hefty fines for possession. (See: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/15-16/bill/sen/sb_1401-1450/sb_1446_bill_20160701_chaptered.htm) Also, ammunition sales will be sharply curtailed, with background check requirements and registration of purchases! This is clearly collective insanity, but it is becoming the law of the land in the People’s Republic of California.
California’s new ammunition purchase restrictions (Senate Bill 1235) are complicated, and part of the new law hinges on the outcome of a November ballot initiative. See: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160SB1235. If it goes fully into effect, then:
Variously starting either on January 1, 2018, or January 1, 2019, (under penalty of a $1,000 fine):
The absurdity of creating a registry for an expendable commodity was apparently lost on California’s idiotic legislators.
Note: There will be huge loopholes in the law for law enforcement, for the privileged few who hold concealed carry permits in California, and for anyone who is moving into the state. But the net effect is that the cost of buying ammunition in California will probably skyrocket (since the competitive pricing of nationwide sales choices will be gone), and sales will become tracked to the buyer.
Since the database of ammo purchases is cumulative, shooters who expend large quantities of ammunition (such as competitive target shooters) will likely become increasingly suspect, making it appear that they are stockpiling ammo that they are actually expending on the range.
The new law is silent on any restrictions on components for handloaders, but presumably anyone who “manufactures” (assembles) ammunition would fall under some sections of the law.
California’s new magazine ban (Senate Bill 1446) goes into effect on July 1, 2017. The law quite bluntly demands:
(c)?A person who, prior to July 1, 2017, legally possesses a large-capacity magazine shall dispose of that magazine by any of the following means:
(1)?Remove the large-capacity magazine from the state.
(2)?Prior to July 1, 2017, sell the large-capacity magazine to a licensed firearms dealer.
(3)?Destroy the large-capacity magazine.
(4)?Surrender the large-capacity magazine to a law enforcement agency for destruction.
Note: There are some exceptions for law enforcement agencies, currently-serving officers, retired officers, museums, movie prop companies, and the executors of wills or trustees settling estates. But otherwise, this is a “blanket” ban with no grandfather clause. As such, this ban will likely be challenged in the courts as a “taking” without compensation.
One oddity is that the new law is silent about belted or linked ammunition for belt-fed guns, but based on existing magazine restrictions in California, it is safe to assume that belts holding 11+ rounds could no longer be possessed. (This might have to be clarified by the courts.)
The fines start at $100 for the first offense, $250 for the 2nd offense, and $500 for the 3rd or subsequent offense. So a forgotten box of magazines in the back of a closet could potentially become a very expensive thing! Thankfully, violations of this law are considered infractions.
If you live in California, then I recommend that you immediately make plans to relocate your family to a more firearms-friendly state, and do so before 2017. Vote with your feet, folks! Relocating will serve two purposes: 1) It will maintain your firearms freedom, and 2) It will remove you from the California tax rolls, depriving the state of your revenue. (Starve the beast!)
If for some reason you cannot leave California before the new laws go into effect, then at least make arrangements with an out-state friend, a FFL, or a storage company to get your banned guns and magazines out of the State before the various effective dates of the new laws. But regardless, do not make the mistake of turning in your magazines in to the police “for destruction”. (Odds are, since the police are exempt from the law, some officers will simply take many of the surrendered magazines home for their own use or re-sell them out of state for a profit.)
The wording of SB 880 an AB 1135 are incredibly convoluted and require careful study. But most of their terms go into effect on January 1, 2017. That is the key date to remember and plan for.
California’s misguided legislators need to get the message: Anti-gun owner tyranny is not unacceptable! I recommend that we institute a limited boycott of California. Those of us living in other states should NOT schedule or attend any conferences or conventions in California. Also, limit your vacation travel to California as much as possible. But please don’t boycott produce from California, since California’s rural and largely conservative fruit, vegetable, and nut growers don’t deserve to be punished for something that was not their doing! Please also continue to do business with California’s gun-related companies, but encourage them to relocate to a free state.
Sadly, California is now a legislative lost cause. The voices of its rural gun-owning minority have been drowned out by the statist/leftist urban majority. The chances of Californians salvaging their liberty is slim. Writing letters to your assemblymen in Sacramento or to the editor of your local newspaper just won’t work. You will be ignored. Firearms freedom is now just about dead in California, and the six newly-enacted gun laws were simply the last nails in the coffin lid. Face it, folks: The time has come to flee the tyranny.
Those of us living in free states should now do our best to help Californians escape the anti-gun tyrants. Please first help California’s gun law refugees store their banned guns and magazines, and then help the refugees get re-settled, to find jobs, make a fresh start, and feel welcome. That is the least we can do for them. – JWR
Makes 6 servings.
o o o
Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:
Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!
HJL,
How about the eBay Bidet. It not only rhymes, it completely solves your bum washing problem. You install it on your toilet in 20 minutes. I found out about this using a process of elimination. – M.
o o o
Hi Hugh,
This idea may have already been mentioned, but I connected a kitchen sink dish spray hose and nozzle to my toilet water supply as a homemade bidet using a pipe tee, 1/2-inch valves, and some reducing adapters. It takes a little experimenting to know how far to crack open the valve to keep from spraying water everywhere. Of course, having water pressure is a necessity for it to work and one still has to use the “dirty hand”, but you are right in that one feels much cleaner down there using water and the hand. – WLF
Retailers are closing faster than you think (NYPost) – G.G.
o o o
WATCH OUT If Silver Breaks Through This Threshold Next Week (SRSrocco Report)
o o o
Fed Fails to See No Pent-Up Demand Is Left (Real Money) What is amazing is the government and the sheeple think this is a good idea. Gold is the safe haven as the article says. – R.H.
o o o
US economy is like Botox, looks fine only on the outside (RT) – T.P.
o o o
SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.
Video: Has The Government Put You On A Terrorist Watchlist?
o o o
California governor signs stringent gun bills, vetoes others. The article begins: “[Democrat] Gov. Jerry Brown signed six stringent gun-control measures Friday that will require people to turn in high-capacity magazines and mandate background checks for ammunition sales, as California Democrats seek to strengthen gun laws that are already among the strictest in the nation.” The outright ban on 11+ round magazines flies in the face of American jurisprudence, because it has no grandfather clause, and even bans previously-grandfathered magazines. This represents an unconstitutional “taking” without compensation. And requiring a background check for ammunition buyers is absurd! At this point, with the passage of these unconstitutional laws, the only viable option for California’s gun owners is to vote with their feet. I strongly recommend relocating to the American Redoubt!
o o o
A warning for readers on connecting home items for automation/monitoring. – P.S.
o o o
Halos – A galactically bad idea: Mobile App Displays Location of Individuals with Concealed Handguns – OPSEC folks…OPSEC! – T.P.
“The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.” – James Madison
On July 3, 1890, the Idaho Territory became the 43rd state in the Union.
July 3rd is the birthday of both musician Aaron Tippin and of actor Tom Cruise.
Moving a single jar at a time is cumbersome when managing so many. I have kept the original Ball cardboard boxes that the jars came in because they assist in moving multiple jars and placing them on shelves easily, but we are gentle with them to help them last. Occasionally they require some reinforcement with duct tape or replacement altogether; however, so far, most have held up well for a minimum of four years.
Labels can easily be placed on the ends of the Ball boxes, identifying the contents and their dates, so that it is easy to walk down an aisle, look up onto a shelf, and see which box contains needed items. I classify the boxes by category and detail with the year. For example, the box might say “FD Vegetables- peas, corn, carrots 2015”. The “FD” is an abbreviation we use to distinguish freeze-dried items from wet canned items. Lids on jars always have the contents and year on them also. I just put some wheat in half gallon jars today and labeled the lid with “WW 2016” for Winter White 2016. That is the most extreme abbreviation we use. Most of the time we spell things out and say things like “FD Corn 6/16”. When you are looking down at a box of quart jar lids in a fairly dark space, it is nice to be able to read the lid and not have to lift a bunch of jars out of the box to see which one contains freeze-dried corn. I want to reach in and get the one I want the first time. I live a busy life after all, and you probably do too.
By keeping each type of food in the same size jars and in common areas, it is easy to stack them together in sections and locate contents. Freeze-dried meats are stacked in quart jars together. Meals in quarts are stacked together. I have a dairy section with quart jars filled with various freeze-dried items, such as cheese, milk, sour cream, and so forth. There is a section of freeze-dried raw eggs and another with already scrambled eggs. I have a section of canned vegetables and another of freeze-dried vegetables. Then, I have canned and dried fruits in a section. Of course, there is also a large spice, herb, and tea section, with a good amount of medicinal herbs, flowers, bark, and roots included. I keep a section of elderberry syrup already made and canned as well as jars of dried elderberries in stock for making future batches to provide continuous protection again viruses. (We enjoy this syrup in our smoothies, shakes, or just by itself and have noticed a significant reduction in colds, flu, and illnesses since we began taking this.)
I also have dried pastas, rice, potato flakes, and multiple types of beans and grains stored in half gallon jars. The LDS-Mormon Store is an excellent source for many of these items. I find that I can buy a bulk supply of the winter white wheat (which is what I use for my cakes, pancakes and muffins, pastries, and bread) at the Mormon Store for less than what I pay for chicken scratch at the local feed store! Still, I can’t bear the thought of feeding my wonderful, high quality wheat berries to the chickens! They have to eat that cracked mixed grain so I can keep all of the wheat berries for our family.
Within each section of the long-term pantry, I stack boxes of half gallon jars no more than three high and quart jars are stacked only four high because of the weight on the bottom jars and the need to move boxes to get to what is on the bottom. Hugh has built wonderful shelvings that are just the perfect height for this stacking system. We just stack the cardboard boxes on top of the jars below, making sure that they are squared and centered well. We’ve never had a mishap with any falling down or breaking. We do not have issues with significant earthquakes here, so if you live somewhere that does you should consider straps or shelves for every layer to hold your food securely. There is one caveat in our system though; when removing jars from the bottom box, it is necessary to fill in empty spaces to provide good, even support for the weight above. This is another reason why it is important to keep like items together. Pulling from the bottom is rare, as I usually have multiple boxes of a single item and we rotate to keep the oldest items on top. However, sometimes I have a rare item with just one or a few jars of that type of item, such as saffron spice or a purchased medicinal plant root, that may end up in a bottom box.
In rotating supplies, oldest items are on top and in the front, so that they are easy to obtain, one jar at a time. It takes periodic rotation and inventory to keep the larder in check, especially since multiple family members are sent to obtain supplies and may not always pull from the same box and location and multiple family members are sent to place items, too. It is a regular job to keep the long-term food storage well organized. A complete inventory should be done at least annually, but I do inspections more frequently.
While in college, I once thought about a career as a research librarian because I enjoy research and writing. With the Internet, the days of a library’s seemingly endless periodical, microfiche, and full reference section is over, but my cataloging skills are now useful for the pantry. What I am finding is that I occasionally have to reorganize the storage as a type of food outgrows its allocated area. When opportunities arise for extraordinary good deals on products that we use regularly, I take advantage of them. However, I am then in a quandary of where to put those items. The shuffling must begin. Fortunately, I am not required to stick with the Dewey decimal system with the food and can rearrange the storage area as I see fit. If the canned meats need a larger section, they can be traded with another category of food that will fit where the meats were and that is currently is on the periphery where there is some empty space for expansion.
When we travel, we always take freeze-dried meals with us. Our health needs keep us from being able to eat exclusively at restaurants when we travel. For example, we cannot tolerate a lot of salt, and most restaurants use too much for us. We also need a lot of fiber and, frankly, are spoiled in liking to eat things “our way”. Eating out just isn’t that much of a treat for any of us, except me, because I don’t have to do the cooking. However, if I get one of my freeze-dried meals I am very happy. I get to eat what I like without any fuss!
On a recent trip that Hugh and one of our sons made, they took homemade freeze-dried meals with them, including Beef Stroganoff; Roast Beef, Sliced Potatoes, Carrots, and Peas with Brown Gravy; and Chicken Fried Rice. All they had to do was add a cup of hot water to each quart jar, gently roll the jars around occasionally over the course of five minutes, open the jars, and eat. I offered to send a thermos of hot water with them, but Hugh said his rocket stove was fine and he’d need to stop and stretch at meal times.
Several times a year, our family has taken one- to three-week long trips and taken all of our food with us, including our snacks, breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. We only needed one large cooler plus our jars. For the three week trip, I believe we took about 48 jars, but we didn’t consume all of the contents. I am known for having much more than enough. The LORD is good, and His bounty is evident at our table! I thank Him daily as I work in our garden. We are preparing for a bountiful harvest again this year, thanks to our great Creator and His provisions.
Anyway, taking jars with us has been no problem. We have carried them in our SUV, pickup, and trailer without a problem. We have never had one break yet, but when we carry them, we do not let the glass jars “clink” against one another. I use pieces of cardboard or other food items to separate them. Hugh has built wooden carrying boxes with lids. Each box holds 12 quarts, and I use strips of cardboard between the jars to give some cushion as they vibrate and bounce going down bumpy roads. There isn’t much space between the jars, so that helps to minimize the amount of bouncing, too. I have not had to put anything under the jars, though someone might want to do this. The main concern has been to protect the glass from hitting against other glass. The boxes Hugh made only fit quart jars, so any products that are normally stored in half gallons are repackaged into quarts for trips.
Quick oatmeal cereal mixed with brown sugar and dried fruit is another great product to carry on a trip. Dried apples and fruit, nuts, and beverages can also help make trips more pleasant. If it is cold, mix up some cocoa mix or spiced tea to carry for hot water. If it is hot outside, mix up Kool-aid or a drink mix and sugar or stevia so that you can add the mix by the spoonful to cold water bottles out of the cooler.
The larder mentioned above can be built and arranged in your bugout location in advance of SHTF. With vacuum-sealed jars stored in the dark, especially in a cellar environment, which is cool year around, the properly canned contents should last at least a decade or so. You can have your meats/proteins, dairy, vegetables, fruits, starches, and also your herbs, teas, green coffee, herbal medicines, and whatever else you need stored in air tight jars that water, air, light, and pests cannot easily get into to destroy.
When SHTF, just dust off those jars, open, heat/add hot water, and eat. Once you have emptied some jars, they can be cleaned and used for heating and serving food. For heating food, they can go into a pan of boiling water. They can be used as drinking glasses, too, and have a lid to keep the contents clean and bug free while you are living and working in the great outdoors.
Hugh,
Regarding the person who wondered “Why go to all the trouble to cut and sew toilet wipes when you can simply use mass-produced bathroom washcloths”:
There are other issues that must be considered as well:
HJL Comments: The question of what to do when the toilet paper runs out is always on the mind of preppers, and I have seen some very ingenious solutions to the problem. However, the easiest and most reliable method is just to use water. Americans seem to have an aversion to this method due to the fact that you have one hand that touches your nether regions, but the vast majority of the world uses this method in various forms with very satisfactory results. You might consider what would happen if you were camping and you sat down on the ground and accidentally placed your hand in a pile of poo. Would you just take a roll of toilet paper and wipe your hand until it looked clean and then call it good at this point? Most of us would not. You would spend some time with soap and water and thoroughly clean the hand. Why do we then consider wiping our bums with toilet paper as an adequate sanitation procedure?
This concept was hammered home when I had to have a colonoscopy a couple of years ago. Before the procedure, I was required to drink a gallon of solution that cleaned me out. During that time, ready access to a bathroom was mandatory and my bum became so sore that it was literally bleeding. Using toilet paper was out of the question. Thankfully, the toilet was next to the tub/shower, which had a hand wand on the shower head. Using water on low pressure provided an easy, sanitary and painless way of cleaning up. This experience prompted a search on how third world countries with no access to toilet paper deal with the situation.
In many countries, access to soap is limited and you end up with the concept of a “clean” hand (usually the right hand) and a “dirty” hand (usually the left hand). Cleaning up is relegated to the “dirty” hand, while greeting people is done with the “clean” hand. Don’t get those two mixed up or you will thoroughly insult the person by offering them the “dirty” hand. If you have access to soap, there is no need to dedicate a “dirty” hand because cleaning the hand is as simple as washing with soap and water afterwards.
The procedure is simple:
If done right, it takes less than a cup of water to thoroughly clean the nether regions and the fingers, and you will be surprised how much cleaner you feel afterwards compared to using just regular toilet paper. When you have completed the job, wash your hands as normal with soap and water. If TEOTWAWKI occurs and access to soap is limited, the society will simply revert back to the concept of only using the right hand for public, reserving the left hand for private. While the concept is simple, some practice is required. Cleaning the area is simple, but keeping the water from dribbling down your legs or making a mess in your bathroom can be challenging at first.
There are those among us who are totally averse to touching the nether regions with the bare skin of your fingers. Leaving aside the question of how you perform bathing or showering, this video may be for you. It contains instructions on how to build a portable bidet kit with nitrile gloves along with instructions on using it replete with a demonstration on a small stuffed animal. I think it’s overkill, but each to his own. A word of caution is in order here. Please be careful in searching YouTube for instructional videos on this procedure. Most are highly offensive.
CNBC interview (video): The European Union is ‘doomed to fail,’ says ‘Black Swan’ author Nassim Taleb
o o o
From the Of Two Minds blog of the always incisive Charles Hugh Smith: Brexit, the E.U. and the “Special Relationship” of the U.S./U.K.
o o o
I missed this well-reasoned piece by Gary Christenson when it was posted back on March 21st: Silver – A Long-Term Perspective
o o o
For those considering investing in guns, here is a good intro: Garry James’ Rules for Buying Collectible Guns
o o o
And here is is much more detailed article, by Mike Venturino: Smart Gun Buying
o o o
SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.
Federal regulation of Internet coming, warn FCC, FEC commissioners
o o o
I see that our SurvivalRealty.com spin-off website now has an amazing 260 listings in the United States. Congrats on that to my #1 Son! Be sure to check out the many unusual retreat properties offered for sale. For example, see this one near Worley, Idaho with plentiful water and a 1,000 square foot NBC bunker!
o o o
Despite some recent shortages throughout the U.S., Gun Mag Warehouse still seems to have some 20-, 30-, 40-, and even 60-round PMAGs on hand. I recommend stocking up before the DNC”s Election Convention in July!
o o o
Human, bear conflicts on the rise in Northern Rockies
o o o
I saw this linked over at The Drudge Report: Talk Of Moving TSA Checkpoints Outside. When will the expansion of TSA jurisdiction end?
