Notes for Monday – May 09, 2016

On May 9th, 1945, Herman Goering– commander in chief of the Luftwaffe, president of the Reichstag, head of the Gestapo, prime minister of Prussia, and Hitler’s designated successor– was taken prisoner by the U.S. Seventh Army in Bavaria. Goering, who was addicted to painkillers due to a wound, was instrumental in creating concentration camps for political enemies. It was Goering who ordered the purging of German Jews from the economy following the Kristallnacht program in 1938, initiating an “Aryanization” policy that confiscated Jewish property and businesses. Tried and convicted at the Nuremberg trials, he was sentenced to hanging, but before he could be executed he committed suicide by swallowing a cyanide tablet he had hidden from his guards.

Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Rockin’ 9mm for Survival

Without a doubt, the most often asked questions I get in my handguns classes is “What is your favorite handgun?” followed by “If you could only have one gun for the rest of your life, what would it be?” Of course, it is next to impossible to answer either of those questions, especially if you are a long-time gun owner. As to my favorite handgun, that’s an easy one to answer, and it confuses people. Put simply, my favorite handgun is the one I’m carrying at the moment! I’m not trying to dance around answering the question. If you stop and think about it, at “that” time, “that” handgun is my favorite. It suits my purpose at “that” time.

My answer to the second question is always the same; I would want a 1911 of some sort in .45ACP, a 4” Bbl stainless steel .357 Mag of some sort, or a 4” Bbl .44 Mag of some sort that is stainless, or something else. Once again, I don’t have a 100% pat answer to this question, and I hope I never have to make that decision either. I’m not dancing around answering this question, either. It’s just that there is no one handgun that can do all I want or expect it to do.

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All this leads to yet another question, and that is what kind of handgun would I want for the “End Of The World”? Wow! They’re always trying to nail me to the wall with some questions, and this is an on-going thing when people find out I write about guns (and knives and survival gear) for a living. They somehow think I’m some sort of expert on guns. I’m far from it. I’m just a serious firearm owner with a lot of experience with a lot of different guns over the past 50 years.

To be sure, there aren’t many handguns I would take out-of-the-box without test firing them, carry it, and bet my life on it. However, two handguns come to mind. One is the Beretta Model 92 in 9mm, and the other is the Glock 19 in 9mm. Both are outstanding handguns that I would trust my life to without first test firing them. However, I would sure test them as soon as I could, just to be sure. The reason I name the Beretta and the GLOCK is because they have proven 100% reliable in my hands.

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Now, don’t get me wrong. The 9mm round still isn’t at the top of my list as a man stopper round. However, with good JHP ammo, this round will get the job done if you place them where they need to go. I load +P or +P+JHP ammo from Black Hills Ammunition or Buffalo Bore Ammunition for the most part in my 9mm handguns for self defense. Oh, there’s nothing wrong with plain ol’ JHP 9mm ammo, to be sure.

We are looking at a TEOTWAWKI scenario, and I do like the idea of a lot of rounds in my magazines in my 9mm handguns, which leads us to high capacity magazines. I’m not talking about the 15-rd magazines that are the standard with the Glock and Beretta handguns. For the Beretta, I have genuine Beretta-made 30-rd high-capacity magazines. For the Glock, I have a couple genuine Glock 33-rd magazines. However, I have quite a few of the S. Korean made 33-rd magazines that have thus far worked flawlessly for me in my Glock 19, and they are less than half the price of the Glock mags. I don’t cut corners on quality, when my life may depend on it. I spend my money carefully and get the best merchandise I can. Now, I’ve tried a number of the S. Korean made high cap mags in .40 S&W for Glocks, and they have proven less than reliable in my experience and for others I know who have tried them, so I steer clear of them for my Glock 27 or 23 .40 caliber handguns. For those, it’s best to go with the genuine Glock .40 mags that only hold 22 rounds.

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Enter my long-time friend, Lynn Thompson, who owns Cold Steel knives and has a video showing him shooting at man-sized steel targets at 200-yards with a Glock 9mm pistol while standing on his feet with no rest or support and repeatedly hitting the target. We hear “bang”, and a second or so later we hear “ding” as the bullet hits the target. Lynn says there is no trick to it; it just takes practice. Now, I’m not saying that I want to engage someone at 200 yards or for that matter 100 yards, with only a 9mm handgun, but it can be done. For sure, you probably won’t kill the threat with one round, but you will sure make them wish they were some place else.

So, as you will see in the pictures accompanying this article, I have two similar setups for my Glock 19 and my Beretta 92. Both can be carried in a Blackhawk Products SERPA tactical thigh holster. For each of my Glock 19, I have a standard capacity 15-rd mag in them. In my Beretta 92, I actually have 17-rd Mec-Gar mags in the gun and the two spare mag pouches on the holster. For the Glock, I have the gun loaded with a 15-rd mag and two more 15-rd mags in the magazine pouches on the holster. Then, we add a Blackhawk tactical thigh 9mm submachine gun mag carrier on the opposite leg, loaded with three 33-rd mags for the Glcok and/or three 30-rd mags for the Beretta.

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Of course, I’m not kidding myself. My Glcok and Beretta are not submachine guns/pistols. However, with this setup– the loaded guns with spare mags on the holster platform and then three high-capacity mags in the off-side mag carrier– we are talking some serious fire-power, and of course, the term “fire power” means different things to different people. I won’t get into a debate on this.

I’ve been on a SWAT team, and I’ve trained police and security officers in SWAT tactics, and I’ve even written a book on SWAT tactics, which is in need of serious updating and some changes made to it. However, the point is, depending on where you are headed and what type of danger you may encounter, sometimes a long gun, like a shotgun or an AR-15 carbine, might not be the best choice, especially if working through narrow hallways or tight rooms where a long gun might be a bit too cumbersome to use. A handgun would be a better choice.

If you’re in a survival situation where you might have to work your way from work to home, a long gun might draw unwanted attention to you. However, a handgun setup, as described above, might work out great. We are talking a lot of rounds on-hand with all the magazines fully-loaded. Of course, it goes without saying that you don’t hose down a target. You still need to take careful aim and make every round count. Still, if the situation presented itself and you had to lay down some serious covering fire, you could sure do so with the GLOCK or Beretta setup as described above.

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Of course, we also have the situation where in some areas of the country you can’t own anything like an AR-15 or AK-47 due to stupid laws, but you can own a handgun and some extra magazines, even high capacity magazines! We aren’t calling the Glcok and the Beretta “assault weapons” in the least. They are just plain Jane 9mm handguns with some added ammunition on hand.

Many years ago, I worked for an alarm company on the day shift. I installed burglar alarms in businesses and, on the night shift, I answered those alarms. About 95% of the time, I got there before the Chicago PD. At that, more often than not, they would tell me that they would “secure” the outside of the building while it was my job to go in and clear the building. I did catch a lot of bad guys in those buildings, too. I still remember my first call on the night shift. It was a huge warehouse/trucking company that was easily a city block long. I only carried a 2” Bbl Colt Detective Special Snubby .38 Spl revolver. It was good enough for the day shift, just because we were installing alarms in some bad neighborhoods and never had any confrontations. However, at night, it was another story. I still remember thinking to myself, “What am I going to do with this little gun?” that I had in my hand when I entered that dark warehouse. The very next day I traded that little gun for a 4” Bbl Colt Trooper MKIII .357 Mag revolver. It had more horse power and was more accurate, plus it was carried with several ammo pouches with spare ammo on my belt.

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The point is the above setup can work when only carrying a handgun when the situation may arise and a long gun isn’t handy or called for or for those areas where you can’t own an AR or AK, but you don’t want to feel outgunned or undergunned when the SHTF! Now, for sure, I wouldn’t want to knowingly go up against someone armed with something like an AR or an AK. However, the above setup would at least give you a fighting chance with lots of rounds on-board.

So, when someone talks to me about what handguns to own for the End Of The World, this is but one answer/solution I give to them. Remember, there is no single gun, not any gun, that can do everything you need it to do. But there are some smarter solutions to some problems that can be solved with a good handgun setup. Now, there are some magazine makers that are making some really bad high capacity magazines for the Glock and the Beretta and other handguns. However, based on my testing, with those mags over the years, they are pure junk. Don’t even think about betting your life on them; you’ll lose! Stick with the genuine Beretta 30-rd 9mm mags or the Glcok 9mm 33-rd mags from either Glcok or the S. Korean make and you won’t go wrong.

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I’ve reviewed the Beretta 92 and Glcok 15 in the past on SurvivalBlog.com and didn’t see any sense in reviewing these two handguns again. You can do a search and read my articles on these two outstanding handguns. The purpose of this article was to answer this often-posed question to me, and you’d be shocked at how often I’m asked about “End Of The World” handguns (and long guns) and thought this would give SurvivalBlog readers some further insights into my recommendations. I just wanted to alert readers to what is available out there and what I use/would use in this type of situation.

I wouldn’t want to be on a battlefield in Iraq or Afghanistan armed only with my 9mm handgun and the above setup with spare mags. However, fighting my way home on the city streets, I wouldn’t feel helpless and would make a good showing with my setup. Plus, one can always carry extra ammo in a Bug Out Bag to replenish your mags if need be. I hope this article answers all those who have written to me on this topic.

– Senior Product Review Editor, Pat Cascio

Recipe of the Week: Easy Hamburger Potato Soup

Inspired by last week’s recipe, Reader A.N. sent one of her favorites in:

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of Bear Creek dry potato soup mix
  • 1 lb ground beef or turkey (cooked)
  • 8 cups of water

Directions:

  1. Heat water to a boil.
  2. Slowly whisk in the dry potato soup mix.
  3. Add ground beef.
  4. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Serve with shredded cheese, scallions, grated carrots, or whatever suits your fancy.

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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!

Letter Re: Alien Gear Holsters

Jim and Hugh,

Several weeks ago, in your “News from the Redoubt” column, you mentioned a company out of Idaho for IWB (inside the waistband) holsters, named Alien Gear Holsters. I have just about every type of (outside) belt holster and most work just fine for my needs, but I was in need of an IWB so I decided to give them a try. I’m glad I did.

I was planning on an Internet order on Sunday evening when the hours on their website said they were still open (I live in the eastern time zone and they in mountain), so I called and got the most pleasant person who took my order for two holsters (one auto and one revolver plus one extra auto “shell”).

Not only do they have very fair prices (my three items came to a total of around $80 incl. S/H), but both their service (7 days a week) and products are excellent. I received my package in five days as promised, and they are made in USA. Plus, they have a free shell exchange; change your pistol and send in your old shell to get a new one for that new model. Each holster comes with a small allen wrench and extra silicone spacers of different thickness to custom fit your particular pistol and are fully adjustable to three different heights above the belt line and also a combo of six different “cants” for your drawing comfort. When I told her they were mentioned on SurvivalBlog, she was very appreciative.

If you need a quality IWB holster, look into Alien Gear Holsters. – RSR

Economics and Investing:

Economic Collapse Logistics For The Government – Sent in by B.B.

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Labor Force Participation Rate Dropped to 62.8% In April: 94,044,000 Out

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

Citi: The Fed Would Attempt One Last “Hail Mary” Before Announcing Negative Rates (Business Insider) Interesting thoughts! Excerpt: “…anyone who believes a rate hike isn’t coming until May 2017 has to at least consider the possibility the Fed would need to cut rates before then.”

Gross Calls for Helicopter Money (Mises) Excerpt: “There is a rude end to flying helicopters, but the alternative is an immediate visit to austerity rehab and an extended recession. I suspect politicians and central bankers will choose to fly, instead of die.”

Puerto Rico Debt Crisis Explained: 5 Things to Know About the Default and Congress (International Business Times) Excerpt: “Interested parties include hedge funds and banks, as well as millionaires and billionaires connected to the Koch network and Karl Rove. Other interested parties include debt insurers like Vanguard.”

In Puerto Rico’s Debt Crisis, Shades of Argentina (Wall Street Journal) Excerpt: “Hedge funds that bought billions of dollars of Puerto Rico’s debt two years ago are resisting a broader restructuring in hopes of preserving their rights to be paid off first and in full.” Note: The Wall Street Journal may require sign-on and/or subscription service to access some content.

International News

“We Want Out of this Agony”: What It’s Like to Eat in a Country that’s on the Verge of Collapse (Business Insider) Excerpt: “We are eating worse than before. If we eat breakfast, we don’t eat lunch, if we eat lunch, we don’t eat dinner, and if we eat dinner, we don’t eat breakfast….”

Is Greece Just Weeks Away from Another Collapse? (The Telegraph) Excerpt: “But now the bailout has stalled. For the next slice of cash to be given to Greece, it must pass its so-called ‘first review’. Its creditors must be satisfied Greece’s economy and public finances are on the right track. But two of its creditors, the IMF and the EC, disagree over Greece’s progress.”

Deutsche Bank Unveils the Next Step: “QE Has Run It’s Course, It’s Time to Tax Wealth” (Zero Hedge) Excerpt: “the ECB and BoJ should move more strongly toward penalizing savings via negative retail deposit rates or perhaps wealth taxes. With this stick would also come a carrot – for example, negative mortgage rates.” Warning: Commentary following the article may contain bad language and/or inappropriate avatar images.

Personal Economics and Household Finance

The Simplest, Most Effective Way to Prevent Debit Fraud (Clark Howard) Video Link. Commentary: I’m not sure how I feel about leaving a card with a register staffer while I pump gas, just as I wouldn’t let a card out of my site in a restaurant with wait and service staff, but this is interesting (and somewhat disturbing) that there should be such a surge in debit card data theft for customers using the pay-at-the-pump service.

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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Sent in by T.P. – US gun-loving mom agrees to give talks about gun safety – The value of this story isn’t in the story itself. Take a close look at the photograph of this Remington 1911 pistol in the article. It is not in (U.S. military / Jeff Cooper / NRA) approved conditions 1, 2, or 3. It is “firing line hot” with the hammer fully cocked and the thumb safety “OFF”. I can’t be sure, but the middle digit of the man’s first finger may be placing some pressure on the trigger, as well. Ooops. The only times this pistol should be in this configuration is when pointed at a known target with intent to fire, or tactically “combat hot”. AFP and Yahoo strike out… again. Why would anyone trust their objective reporting on firearms, when they can’t even photograph one of the world’s best known, semi-automatic pistols safely?

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‘Professed transvestite’ goes after Judge Roy Moore – Sent in by J.F.

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Sent in by W.K. – From the US government: Are you safe and secure? Of course, the problem with this kind of report is the fact that we don’t know how many of these “stopped attacks” would have happened without government involvement, as the DHS has a propensity to claim it has stopped an attack where it recruited, funded, supplied, and then arrested those who were involved.

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Letter Details FBI Plan for Secretive Anti-Radicalization Committees – “The idea of the committees is to enlist counselors, social workers, religious figures, and other community members to intervene with people the FBI thinks are in danger of radicalizing — the sort of alternative to prosecution and jail time many experts have been clamoring for. But civil liberties groups worry the committees could become just a ruse to expand the FBI’s network of informants, and the government has refused to provide details about the program.” – Sent in by RBS

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8 Things You Can Do Now to Promote Medical Self-Care – DSV

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

Interposition [Doctrine]: “The doctrine that a state, in the exercise of its sovereignty, may reject a mandate of the federal government deemed to be unconstitutional or to exceed the powers delegated to the federal government. The concept is based on the 10th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States reserving to the states powers not delegated to the United States. Historically, the doctrine emanated from Chisholm v. Georgia, 2 Dallas 419, wherein the state of Georgia, when sued in the Supreme Court by a private citizen of another state, entered a remonstrance and declined to recognize the court’s jurisdiction. Amendment 11 validated Georgia’s position. Implementation of the doctrine may be peaceable, as by resolution, remonstrance or legislation, or may proceed ultimately to nullification with forcible resistance.” – Black’s Law Dictionary

How to Use Amazon for Economical Purchasing- Part 1, by Sarah Latimer

Like many SurvivalBlog readers, I don’t live in the city. It is far from convenient for me to shop for any kind of specialty item because of the travel distance usually required. Even basic groceries to the “local” store requires a bit of a drive and is kept to a maximum of about three times a month. My in-person shopping is typically done about once a month in bulk and takes most of a day to make the trip to the city, do the shopping, and then make the journey home. Not only is my time valuable but the trip is costly in terms of gas and wear and tear on our vehicle, and there is the definite safety concern of an auto accident, robbery/assault, and exposure to illness when on busy roads, in congested stores, and in a city with a high crime rate.

I am far from a recluse. I enjoy people and socializing very much, but I am cautious about mixing with the impersonal masses who carry flu/cold viruses, hepatitis, and a host of other infectious diseases. When shopping, I want to get my goods and get out with minimal handling of public surfaces, and I also come home and immediately and thoroughly wash my hands with soap and water.

With regards to making purchases or finding alternatives for buying things, my mother taught me that “a penny saved is a penny earned”. So, I try to be a good steward of what the LORD and Hugh have entrusted to me to use for the benefit of our family. I am the shopper for our family. Whether we are in need of food, clothing, or tools, I tend to be the one to do the research and make the purchases. Hugh works very hard for every penny that comes into our household and we need to maximize our buying power, so I want to make wise choices in how those pennies are spent. Hugh may have some specifications for me about his purchase requests, but he knows that I will research and get the best value for his hard-earned dollar. Additionally, I shop for other family members and sometimes for friends, too. I have a bit of a reputation in my social/family circle for being “the shopper”– good at finding deals and good sources, using coupons, and identifying quality items.

We choose to buy quality over quantity. A $80 pair of shoes that will last more than a year (and maybe two years) of almost daily wear is better than buying $35 shoes that don’t breathe and only last six months. Having quality tools and durable equipment, purchased for our family’s survival in a SHTF situation, is especially important, because in that situation we can’t easily replace items. So, I watch the prices of things, but I also watch for quality and durability.

Amazon has been a great resource for our family’s prepping efforts. When we first believed God was calling our family to prepare for hard times ahead, we didn’t know about Amazon and had to source each individual item ourselves from literally hundreds of vendors. It was tough! However, in our prepping journey, Amazon became a tremendous resource for us. I just don’t know how we would have been able to prepare as easily and readily without Amazon, nor could we have saved so much money in doing so and been able to manage our repeat orders and future order plans as easily. Of course, I have my way of doing things that are geared for how our family operates, but I thought that my knowledge and experience of using Amazon might be helpful to others. This article is far from exhaustive in how to use Amazon, but I hope it will offer you some ideas for improving your current method for procuring everything from household cleaners to tools and, of course, beans, Band-aids, Bibles but not bullets. (Sadly, Amazon does not sell weapons or ammo. They are too liberal for that, but there are excellent survival-related products represented in Amazon’s marketplace and manufactured by good companies. So, if they choose to have Amazon help them market and distribute their items, I will continue to use Amazon’s marketplace and appreciate the savings and convenience.) We just have to go elsewhere for certain things, like our weapons and ammo, which is just fine. Thanks to Amazon, I no longer have hundreds of vendors to deal with; I now just have dozens.

Benefits of Using Amazon for Purchasing

Competitive pricing

Amazon has warehouses across the country stocked with products from third parties. They have built an incredibly efficient inventory and shipping system that enables small companies to inventory product in Amazon’s warehouses for Amazon to sell and ship to customers on behalf of the manufacturers. With Amazon’s large-scale shipping contracts, I find that many products are available on Amazon at the same or even a lower total price than offered directly by the product’s manufacturer, in part because of the higher shipping charges for the manufacturer. Also, you may find multiple listings for the same or similar products as well as product bundles at various prices, so you can choose what you want and what fits your particular needs and shop for the best deal. Amazon also offers some amazing special deals, limited by time, quantity, or size; I will outline some of these deals later in this article.

Large selection

Amazon offers products from many vendors from around the world and, therefore, has a huge inventory. Not only do they have the products that are inventoried in their warehouses available on their webstore, but there are products listed from third party vendors also. In this case, products are shipped from a third party rather than from Amazons warehouses, but the sale goes through Amazon. In looking at men’s rain jackets, I found 166 options of trench and rain jackets. When searching for “flashlight”, Amazon came up with almost 600,000 products. That’s a lot of flashlights and flashlight-related accessories!

Customer product ratings, questions/answers, and reviews

I find this aspect of Amazon extremely valuable. As I said before, I am not only looking for a low price but a quality, durable product that performs the function for which I am shopping. Hearing from customers who have purchased and used the product that I am considering purchasing is very helpful. Some times customers even detail how they used the product or modified it for a certain application. It has been a delight to see SurvivalBlog articles referenced at times, too.

If you don’t find the information you want to know about a product, you can ask a question about it. Buyers and the seller/manufacturer are prompted to answer your question. This may take a bit of time, but I have often received answers within a day or two.

Convenience of speedy and economical delivery

Amazon’s shipping system, as I said before, is extremely efficient, especially for items that are stocked and shipped from Amazon’s warehouses. Even items that are shipped from manufacturers or third parties rather than from Amazon’s warehouses arrive within the stated time frame and often well before the anticipated arrival. For example, I order seed potatoes two days ago that said it might take up to two weeks to reach me, but I received them today. This order was filled by a third party, but third parties have strict requirements that they not deliver product later than promised or the customer has the right to return product, and I believe that it is the supplier’s responsibility to pay for that return shipping, though I have not had this situation so I cannot say if that is always the case. I have purchased a few items from China that stated they would take up to six weeks to arrive. The reviews complained about the delay, but the best quality option was only available in this manner and so I was willing to wait for something that wouldn’t fall apart right away. The quality, surprisingly, was excellent, and because it is something I will require again and want to stock, I went ahead and ordered more in anticipation of future needs. The reviews let me know that the long delivery time was really what I should expect, so I had realistic expectations and could plan accordingly.

While the product referenced above took weeks, that is rare. The vast majority of the time I have the items I order within two or three days. Of course, I have a Prime membership, which provides free 2-day shipping on many items and free shipping on others, but you are given shipping options if you don’t have a Prime membership and can choose to pay for expedited shipping, if you want to do so. If you plan to make even 15 purchases in a year, it is my strong belief that Prime membership is well worth the price. I am certain that I break even on the cost within two months because we purchase so much through Amazon, including grocery, garden, household, clothing, camping, electronic/electrical, and other items. We have even purchased appliances quite successfully through Amazon. The Prime Pantry is a great expedited way for Prime members to get a large box of grocery and household items in everyday sizes (not bulk size products) delivered promptly for a very low $5.99 shipping price per box, and products are at prices that often are less than the grocery store sale prices. I just can’t beat that– delivery of sale priced grocery store items to my door! Of course, this does not include fresh or refrigerated/frozen items, but there are many, many grocery and household items that are available through Prime Pantry. I’ll talk about the details of this program a little later.

We also enjoy the tracking system that Amazon makes available for Prime or expedited shipping. I know what days to expect delivery trucks on the property. This is help for OPSEC purposes, of course.

Return/Refund policy

While Amazon provides a great deal of information about the products, including a description, at least one picture, a shipping weight, and more, the disadvantage is not being able to see and touch the products to examine them before making purchases. However, the ease of their return/refund policy minimizes the risk. As a Prime member, if the product is defective or they send the wrong product, they generally provide a pre-paid return shipping label and send a delivery pickup to you to get the package. (You must repackage the product, seal the box, and tape the pre-paid label to the box, but that’s it.) Refunds occur very quickly upon receipt of the product– within a few days, so you can order a replacement item that fits your needs. I have immediately communicated when I got something broken or defective and usually had my replacement within a week and sometimes less. When I have ordered the wrong size or item, I had to pay return shipping, but it was not a big expense, and I generally still saved money by purchasing from Amazon as a Prime member.

Easy Access to Your Own Purchase History

There are some products that I just periodically have to buy again and again. Being able to search on my order history for products I want to continue to use makes re-ordering very easy. They also now have actual re-order buttons that tie to your phone for reordering, but I haven’t chosen to use those yet. For now, I am content just using my order history. I want to be sure that I am still getting the best price available on the product, so looking at the actual product and then searching for it to see what prices other sellers are listing it, helps me feel confident I am continuing to get the best value for our dollar.

I understand that some are concerned about a single vendor knowing about the quantity of items they are purchasing and being targeted as a prepper. However, there is no way that they can know that you aren’t doing like I do– purchasing for more than one household. The same is true of people shopping at wholesale stores, like Costco and Sam’s Club. These are wonderful sources for bulk discount prices. Who you are buying for is not identified. Furthermore, you can make purchases and have them shipped to other people and other addresses. I often make purchases for relatives and have the items shipped to their addresses. I just have to be the Amazon account holder, have my credit card on file, and use my login. However, I can even use Hugh’s or another family member’s credit card for payment also. By occasionally using other credit cards and shipping to other locations, it is clear that there are multiple people and families benefiting from my orders. I also use both a post office box and a physical address, though many of Amazon’s deliveries require a physical address for delivery by UPS or FedEx.

In Part 2 of this article, I’ll detail how to locate and shop for items and get the good values, so stay tuned.

Letter Re: Pat Cascio’s Product Review: AR-7 Rifle

Pat,

My main criticism of the AR 7 is with a little work they could have made room for a box of 22 ammo in the stock. It’d have been much better then relying on carrying separate ammo and hoping they stay together.

I have some time flying in the bush in Alaska. Sentiment seems to be that if you crash and can get out of the plane it may well burn, and you better have all your critical stuff on you or real close. I carry a handgun, 44 magnum, and a small butt pack when I fly. It’s all on me. If I get out, it gets out. The 44 is loaded, and I have two speed loaders– one with shot shells. The butt pack has lighters, flashlights, compress bandage, two heat sheets, mirror, compass, and string, and a few other things I can’t remember. – H.L.

Economics and Investing:

City of Los Angeles Tops 4 Million For First Time: Big Increase Coming from Multi-Family Units and the Renting Revolution.

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The Next Employment Crisis Is Here: Job Cuts At U.S. Companies Jump 35 Percent In April – Sent in by B.B.

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The Immorality of the Minimum Wage: Scarcity and Singing Kumbaya – A look at how our churches have failed in the dilemma of the minimum wage discussion.

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The Insane Hidden Tax Burden Quietly Eating Up Your Paycheck – The regulatory nightmare that raises prices. – B.B.

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Reader S.B. in CO wrote in to confirm the “Rail Traffic Depression” story. Where he lives in Colorado, they have a long line of locomotives that have sat idle for nearly a year. They are a regular reminder of our lagging economy and this administration’s war on coal and oil/gas. Basic macro-economics teaches: As rail traffic goes, so goes the economy.

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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

If You Use Tor Browser, The FBI Just Labeled You a Criminal – Submitted by RBS

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The Electric Crisis in Europe – “Part of the global warming/climate change deals, many people do not realize that in Europe there will be no more gasoline and diesel cars on the streets come 2020.” If Europe is getting rid of all gas and diesel powered cars soon, are we next? Does anyone realize that this also gives the government the option of pulling the plug on you so that you can’t drive anywhere? (Of course you have to pay for the electric fill-up with your electronic credit card that identifies you.) – J.W.

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As desire for heirloom seeds expands, we are always happy to find additional sources of them. The Sustainable Seed Company is one of the latest that we have found. If you’ve had experience with them, we would like to hear about it.

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DSV wrote in with these two links: NJ is a joke. So safe now that this weapon was taken off the street, while an escaped murderer is on the loose! ?Shotgun target practice leads to man’s arrest, cops say

Cops seize AR-15, military grade bullets in Paterson

“High powered assault rifle?” and “Military grade bullets?” Do these writers ever actually research what they write about?

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Using a .22LR for home defense? You might want to watch this video: How Many Interior Walls Will .22LR Bullets Penetrate?

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” – Romans 10:8-9 (KJV)

How to Make and Utilize the Most Excellent Tinder Sticks For Starting Fires, by D.A.

Okay, when the lid comes off civilization and things are fun again, you don’t want to be the numbskull sending up a smoke signal that can be seen from space, just trying to get a fire going. You want to be the guy who kneels down for a bit and brings forth fire, like Prometheus or somebody that gets things done.

I am going to teach you to make tinder that will stay lit and accelerate your fire. It will be inexpensive, too.

Then you will achieve success in building a fire so you can finally crack open that can of Dinty Moore and be popular again. Your amazement will be towering.

You’re going to need some stuff. However, let’s do this “on the cheap”. Cheap is good. It’s refreshing. Use tools you may have or can get really inexpensively.

Stuff you will need:

1. Big chunk of cardboard

2. Some masking tape

3. Old crock pot

4. Old candles

5. Lumber scraps or culled wood

6. Some hot dog tongs

7. Some zip lock baggies to store your Most Excellent Tinder Sticks

You will need some tools. Since we are in the prepping community, I might not be too far off the mark in assuming that you might have some of the basics. If not, I would start hitting the garage sales and thrift stores. According to my wife, anything that does not bring in money is called a hobby and expenses are rightly scrutinized by the paymaster. Inexpensive is the motto, so I can spend my money on ammo and food.

Tools you will need:

1. Saw, to cut your wood

2. Hatchet to split your wood into Tinder Sticks

3. A bench vise is nice, but it’s not necessary

4. Hammer or rubber mallet

5. Fire extinguisher, so you won’t burn your house down

With regard to the Crock-pot. Do not use the wife’s. You will sleep on the couch for exactly twice the amount of time it takes her to get the cinnamon-berry-wax/pork-roast taste out of her mouth. Don’t worry; I am here to guide you. Go to the thrift store. There will be a Crock-pot there. Buy it. What’d that set you back? Five bucks? See? Now, I’m “the man”.

While you’re in the thrift store, look out for some old candles. Sometimes there are big fat decorative ones. It doesn’t matter. Any old candles will do. Also, garage sales are a good place to get old candles.

Grab some hot dog tongs or an old salad grabber at the thrift store.

On your way home stop by the back end of some stores and get some cardboard. The bottom off a refrigerator box is supreme, but anything at least 3’x3’ will be adequate.

Stop at the lumber yard and buy a culled 2×4. This is a board that is so warped that it is unusable for honest construction. It will probably cost you a dollar or two. Get a dry one, since you want to start fires. Now, they can cut them for you, but it’s like $0.50 cents a cut. So just buy enough cuts to get it home in your car without endangering people on the sidewalk.

So now we start

Clear off a work bench outside so you can get things done. Don’t do this inside, if you like sleeping inside. You will make enemies if you do this inside. Also don’t do this on the ground, because you know the dog will step in it if you do.

Now take the cardboard and make a big tray to work in. This is what the masking tape is for. The sides only have to be a couple of inches tall. Set this aside with a rock on it so you don’t have to chase it down the block.

This tray will catch the wax and keep it from going all over grandchild #3, the dog, and everything else underneath the workbench when you knock over the Crock-pot. This cardboard will also become valuable fire starting tinder to add to your stash, thus being energy and resource friendly, making you look even smarter.

Take out the baggies. Since you are storing this stuff in baggies, you are going to use the baggie to determine the length of your tinder.

Measure your baggie with an eye to placing your tinder in there vertically oriented, like cigarettes in a pack. This allows for the most versatile storage while allowing the baggie to stay closed, which is good. My baggies measure 5 and ¾ Inches from zipper to bottom.

To store the Most Excellent Tinder Sticks effectively, I cut my tinder at 5 inches to allow the baggie to stay closed when I jam a load of tinder sticks in there. Cut the wood into the proper lengths.

Then use the hatchet to split the five inch or so blocks into Tinder Sticks. You want them about ¼ inch square, or the thickness of french fries. This is going to take a bit of time. This is also where a bench vise comes in handy. It makes this step safer.

Put your hatchet in the vise with the blade facing upward. You want about an inch of the hatchet blade showing above the top of the vise. Don’t expose more than that or you will end up on a first name bases with the ER nurse. Then you can split the blocks using the mallet by positioning the block on the blade and tapping the block down on the blade, splitting it. You make a pile of rectangles and split those into Tinder Sticks. This part is the tedious part, and you must remain careful if you wish to avoid unnecessary visits to the Emergency Room.

When you finish, take the hatchet out of the vise before some idiot (probably yourself) puts a hand there.

Next we can get down to business

Put the cardboard tray on the bench. Place the Crock-pot and the tongs in the center of the tray, and plug in the Crock-pot. NOTE: Be careful with the cord. Make sure it won’t be tripped over or chewed on, et cetera.

Next cut a double handful of candle chunks and throw them in the Crock-pot. Wicks, tin wick anchors, and all, just chunk them in there. NOTE: This is the most important part: Make sure the fire extinguisher is handy.

Set the Crock-pot on low. Keep it there. [Editors Note: A double boiler is better, as it guarantees the temperature will not get too high.]

In fact, set the Crock-pot on low, take the knob off, and throw the knob on the roof. Do not become impatient. Becoming impatient will burn your house down. Next, if you have a block plane, you can plane the remainder of your scrap wood. Make a big pile of curly shavings.

So now you have a pot of melted wax. After dunking your finger and the like, you take a double handful of Tinder Sticks and put them in the Crock-pot. Stir them around a bit and use the tongs to take them out and dump them on the tray to harden. Then put in some more sticks and repeat until you are out of the first batch of wax. Dump in some more wax and start over. Do this until you run out of material.

After the wax hardens, you start grabbing the pile of tinder sticks, busting the wax that joins the sticks, and organizing them into groups for baggie insertion. Then, you fill your baggies with your Most Excellent Tinder Sticks.

If you have enough wax, break the curly shavings into the wax by rubbing them over the Crock-pot. This will form an oatmeal mush that you tong out onto the cardboard to harden as the wax cools. I used to use ice cube trays to make cubes out of this stuff, but after a week in the pack they break down to a wax/sawdust granola, negating all that effort. The “granola” is just as flammable and is even more effective when sprinkled into the fire starting base for a flame extender. So instead of involving all that work I just make lumps that I put into bags when it cools.

Now we make waste into cool stuff

Grab some strike anywhere matches and dip the heads in wax before it cools. It helps keep them from lighting on each other in a backpack and helps waterproofing. Don’t get wax all up the stick.

Scrape the wax up from the cardboard and put it in the Crock-pot for the next batch. Cut the cardboard that has wax staining into pieces and put that in some baggies for starting a fire in bad weather.

You can rub the wax on tool handles to preserve them and dip drill heads and other metal tools in wax to keep the edges from rusting.

Now if you don’t want the Crock-pot any longer, out it goes. Or, you can bag it inside a trash bag for next time.

So how do we get that Dinty Moore action happening? We start a fire, that’s how.

Finally, we use our Most Excellent Tinder to start a fire

If you have no teenagers or other minions, you are going to have to gather firewood and kindling yourself. After collecting an impressive amount of both, spend a few minutes breaking the kindling into smaller and smaller bits. The reason behind this is that small twigs catch fire easier, so the larger the kindling pile the better shot you have at getting the wet castle timbers you hauled into camp to light and keep you from freezing. A good thing to remember is that graduating the sizes of your kindling up from itty bitty to thumb size to wrist sized will increase your chances of starting a clean burning fire successfully.

So having gathered and gathered, you prepare the fire base. Take out a baggie of Most Excellent Tinder Sticks and place two side by side about two inches apart. Then lay two more crosswise on top of the first two forming a “log cabin” shape. Repeat until you have a little cabin about four inches high. You can put a piece of paper in the center or light an end of one of the Tinder sticks and start building your kindling on that. The wax and the dried pine will extend the flame time and help get your kindling alight. Stack a nice pyramid of kindling using the flames to guide your placement.

Now enjoy that stew. You earned it.