Notes for Wednesday – February 24, 2016

Today, we present another entry for Round 63 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a 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),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd 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),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus 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),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. 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, 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 transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  3. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  4. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  5. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  8. 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 $245 gift certificate from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. 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,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  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 63 ends on March 31st, 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.

Winter Survival- Part 2, by R.C.

2

In Your Vehicle

In this part, we will discuss how to survive in your vehicle. We have all seen the news of cars stuck in a trafic jams or abandoned on the side of the road. Then we listen to the mayor or some emergency management guy telling us to stay off the roads, not to abandon our vehicles, or please not walk down the middle of the plowed street because the sidewalk is now shoveled. As a former snowplow operator and first responder, I would have to agree. Stay home, and keep your kids home if it’s a bad storm. If you must go out, wait until after rush hour, or leave before the traffic gets heavy. Give yourself plenty of extra time to get where you are going and leave plenty of space between you and the vehicle in front of you. It’s important to mentally prepare yourself for the idiot drivers, being late, and to not freak out when an emergency vehicle is trying to pass you.

Keeping your vehicles properly maintained will help keep you on the road, literally. If you cause an accident you will get a ticket, and if you have poor tread on your tires you will get another ticket. It would always amaze me to see a truck on its roof. The first thing first responders notice is the poor quality tires, and then they see the expensive skis next to the truck. If you drive a truck, please put some weight in the back. I carry some wood and some sand bags. They will help you by creating better traction, and you can use the sand or wood to get yourself or someone else unstuck. Having a 4×4 does not make you invincible. I’ve seen small front wheel drive cars do just fine because they don’t have that 4×4 mentality. If you do get in an accident or run off the road, please stay in your vehicle. Don’t be a statistic by getting yourself run over.

A winter car kit is essential to have in your vehicle. You can buy them or put one together yourself. As we used to say on our wildland engines, “You are what you bring.” That means without a blanket, are you prepared to spend a cold night in your vehicle?

First, let’s go over how to get un-stuck. Have I ever been stuck? Yes, I was a few times. Once I was hunting with a chained up 4×4. Another time I was driving an ambulance looking for an address, and I slid off the road and hit a phone box. I had to take the wiz quiz (drug test); I passed. Always carry a tow strap or two; you just might get yanked out of the snow by a good Samaritan. Keep a shovel and some traction aids, like sand or kitty litter, in your vehicle. Please keep your vehicles with at least a half tank of gas. Then, if you are stuck in traffic or off the road, you will have some heat. In this case, only run your car heater for 20 minutes out of every hour, with the window cracked, and make sure your tailpipe is uncovered so you don’t succumb to C.O. poisoning. I also carry a small empty gas can in case I run out of gas or I see somone else who needs it. Having a good tool box and some extra fluids and spare parts can come in handy if, or when, you need them, including a spare serpentine belt and tools to replace it if need be. I carry an older one I’ve replaced for a “just in case” scenario. Remember, if you don’t know how to do it, just Google that stuff or check your manual. Carry jumper cables, fix-a-flat, or an air compressor with a tire fixing kit. The rechargeable battery jump pack I carry has a small air compressor built in. They now make jump packs the size of a tissue box that can jump start a bus. They will also charge your devises with a USB port. Keep a cell phone charger in your car as well as a wind up weather radio to listen to news or weather reports. Tire chains for all four tires with straps can be helpful in icy situations; just be careful putting them on next to the roads. You’ll want to have a large set of channel lock pliers to squeeze them together. Practice putting them on to see if they fit your tires, and when you need them you will know what you are doing. I also carry a fire extinguisher, reflective triangles or other warning devices, and a red bandana or flagging for my antenna.

In Winter Survival- Part 1, about traveling on foot, I went through my heavy winter pack. Where my truck goes, my pack goes. So, I have my winter sleeping bag, extra clothes, food kit, water kit, fire kit, first aid kit, emergecy kit, et cetera. I also store some extra bottled water, emergecy food bars, more blankets, clothes, boots, camp chair, 3-season tent, big first aid kit in a toolbox, maps, stuff to read, and a deck of cards. I also keep a candle and a alcohol stove with warm drinks, cup of soup, and oatmeal. The hygiene kit has ziploc bags to pee into, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and wet wipes. On my doors of the truck I carry a jogger fogger (pepper spray), rescue knife with a seat belt cutter and window punch, trauma shears, flashlight, and a SOG spirit knife that can screw into a broom handle to make a spear. The other door has sun & bug stuff in ziploc bags, dog cookies, and a leash for my runaway dogs, a ziploc bag containing medical gloves, and work gloves. In the glove box there is a headlamp with batteries, truck manual, pain meds, lip stuff, ear plugs, trailer plug adapter, suckers, lighter and matches, pen and paper, toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, some extra cash and checks, and hand warmers. In the bed of my truck, I have my shovel, digging bar, axe, come-along, broom, extra fluids, and tow ropes.

As for my truck gun, I have bn old cammo Mossberg 12-gauge pump in a case that fits under the back seat nicely. I have some extra ammo for my .40 as well as my shotgun. If I’m not carrying my sidearm, it stays within easy reach inside the truck. I also keep a collapsible fishing rod with some fishing gear in the case. As you can see, I don’t have much room left for passengers. As a rule, we don’t take my truck as a family, if we go out; I would have to move some of my gear.

What happens if you get stuck or stranded? Well, first thing you do is accept the fact that you are stuck. Then, you put some better gear on, if you have it. Then try to dig yourself out, if you can, or you get your tow rope out and see if anyone can give you a tow. You might have to wait a long time for a tow truck, so be prepared. If you are injured, call 911 for help. Just remember that you may have to wait a long time if they are busy. It is not normally the job of rescue or EMS personnel to get your vehicle out or give you a ride, so please don’t ask. If you are stranded, please stay with your vehicle. You hear stories about the family that got stuck in the snow and stayed in their car while the father went for help. The family survived, and the father did not. If you decide to go for help, please leave a note in your car with the time and day you left, which way you were headed, your phone number, and an emergency contact number.

A quick review of winter survival in a vehicle:

  • Your vehicle is well maintained, filled with at least half a tank of gas, and you have some tools.
  • You have a shovel, tow strap, traction aids, chains, and warning devises.
  • If you do get stuck or stranded, you are prepared for a cold wait with warm clothes and boots, sleeping bags and blankets, first aid and emergency kits.
  • You have extra food and water, a way to make a hot meal and a warm drink, and you have a hygiene kit to take care of other needs.

For most of your northern readers this is just a friendly reminder, maybe you will throw some extra gear in your vehicles for that “just in case of an emergency” thing. In part 3 of Winter Survival, we will look at surviving at home.

Letter: Safety of Military Surplus DU Round Containers

Hello,
I’ve recently bought a M833 artillery round storage/transport tube at a Canadian store known for buying US DOD surplus.

I had just opened the tube and dumped out the pressboard packing tube when it struck me that this tube may have contained a DU projectile.

A clothing removal, thorough hand washing, and quick web search later proved that the M833 is in fact a DU round.

Aside from M833 and M900 tubes I’m guessing that 20mm transport containers would be available on the surplus market and may have held DU rounds.

Do you or others you may know have any suggestions as to what if any special precautions should be taken when handling transport containers that formerly held DU rounds? – Alley in Soviet Canuckistan

JWR Replies: In the Army, depleted uranium (DU) has never been used for any regular production field artillery rounds. It is used almost exclusively in tank main gun rounds and in Apache helicopter 30mm API rounds. The cans for the latter would be marked “30mm API PGU-14/B”. Most of the tank DU round cans are marked “M833 105mm APFSDS-T”. To be absolutely safe, it is best to avoid buying any cans used for DU rounds, but even then, the risk is absurdly low. To explain: The handling risk is negligible, unless the ammunition was mishandled or crushed, in proximity to an open can. (Obviously, if they were crushed in transit, then the can itself would have also been crushed, beyond repair.) The chances of encountering a contaminated can are nil. (If that were the case, it would be best to wear a dust mask.) DU is an alpha and beta radiation emitter. Inhaled alpha and beta emitters do pose a long-term health threat.

For some background, see this Army Technical Bulletin.

Economics and Investing:

Student debt apocalypse: Median wages up 1.6% over last 25 years while median student debt is up 163.8%.

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Bracken: Burning Down the House in 2016. Commentary: This article from Western Rifle Shooters Association has a lot of economic content and is well-written and hard-hitting. Warning: Some of the comments posted after the article contain racial references I found somewhat offensive, unnecessary and inappropriate. Sites that include open commentary are vulnerable to this. With this in mind, the article itself was a worthwhile read. – Submitted by K.F.

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

The Economics of “Free Stuff” (Mises) Excerpt: “The perennial promises of free stuff from political candidates are front and center again now that we are ensnared in another US election cycle. The knee-jerk response from some economists and libertarians is “TANSTAAFL!” And of course it’s true that There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch, because somebody must bear the costs of the supposedly “free” stuff. Nothing is free because every action has an opportunity cost.”

$290B in Federal Subsidies and Health Insurance Premiums are Still Soaring (Econintersect via Contra Corner) Excerpt: “Most Americans are covered by private health insurance, which they either obtain through employment or purchase individually. Insurance premiums – the payments made to buy that coverage by enrollees or by other parties on their behalf – are high and rising.”

Cancer and Obamacare: A Double Whammy (The New American) Excerpt: “Now imagine you’re a cancer patient of modest means trying to figure out which ObamaCare policy to buy that will both cover your treatment, preferably at the provider of your choice, and be, as the law’s moniker suggests, affordable. Then imagine that you get churned about in the wheels of bureaucracy and end up with either no coverage or coverage you can’t afford.”

JP Morgan Puts Another $500M Aside for Energy Sector Woes (Reuters) Excerpt: “JP Morgan will set aside an additional half a billion dollars to cover potential bad loans to oil and gas companies in the first quarter, underlining the sharp deterioration in the U.S. energy sector.”

International News

Moody’s Warns on Top Canadian Banks (Reuters) Excerpt: “The worry is the oil rout will hit mortgages, auto loans and credit card debt of consumers, especially in Alberta.”

Oil Price Shock, Overvalued Homes Threaten Canadian Banks, Fitch Says (The Huffington Post Canada) Excerpt: “Canada’s commodity-reliant economy will be facing challenges that pose new risks to Canada’s major banks if oil prices remain ‘lower for longer’ and/or this creates a macroeconomic shock to the economy….”

Jobless Benefits Claims Soar 100% in Canada’s Dying Oil Patch As Construction Jobs Plunge 84% (Zero Hedge) Excerpt: “Suicide rates are up in the province, as is property crime and foodbank usage. The malaise underscores the fact that Canada’s oil patch is dying. WCS prices are teetering just CAD1 above marginal operating costs, and the BoC failed to cut rates last month, meaning it’s just a matter of time before the entire Canadian oil production complex collapses on itself.” Warning: Commentary following article may include bad language or inappropriate avatar images.

Personal Economics and Household Finance

Garden Planning for Preservation: Best Foods to Freeze, Can, Dehydrate and Ferment (Mother Earth News) Excerpt: “Our vegetable gardens offer us beautiful, fresh bounty during the growing season — and they also have the potential to increase our food security the rest of the year. When you craft a plan to put up some of the crops you grow, you’re preparing for the future, simplifying winter meals, reducing waste, and saving money, too.”

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

Readers’ Recommendations of the Week:

SurvivalBlog reader D.S. stated that 85% of the movies his family watches are Christian based. Ragamuffin was great, but pre-screen for your children.

He also recommended No Greater Love as another good family movie.

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Reader K.W. notified us that The Heavy Water War is now available on Netflix. It is the story behind Hitler’s plan of Germany developing the atomic bomb during WWII and the heavy water sabotages in Rjukan, Norway. Presented from four angles: the German side, the allied, the saboteurs, and the company side. It is mixed with English and subtitled Norwegian/German. The series does a great job of communicating the Norwegian situation, the courage of the Norwegian partisans, and the challenges of war without too much blood and guts (and no sex). See Wikipedia’s coverage of the amazing Norwegian resistance effort: Norwegian heavy water sabotage.

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Reader AVD recommended the Powerless Nation series of books: Outage, Voyage, and Sabotage. The storyline follows different characters as they survive when the power goes out due to an EMP.

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If you have any books, movies, or videos that you would like to recommend to SurvivalBlog’s readers, email us.

Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog reader JBG sent in this article showing that the German Govt Has New Trojan Horse Malware To Spy On Citizens’ Calls, Typing AND See Through Their Cameraphones

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Former CIA Director Warns of Nuclear-Generated Electromagnetic Pulse Attack Excerpt: “You can have a relatively long period of time where not just the Russians and the Chinese but the Iranians and the North Koreans are capable of launching a missile. Let’s say they launch it to the south instead of north so nothing picks it up, no radars, no nothing, and it comes around the South Pole, goes into polar orbit and just kind of keeps going, it’s got a nuclear weapon in it. We may be living with threats like that for some time.” – Sent in by B.B.

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This is my kind of business: GA Business owner is now requiring all employees to be armed – Submitted by T.P.

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Federal judge chastises DoJ in noncitizen voter registration case or “The fix is in.” – Submitted by B.B.

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First Merit Bank has apparently joined in on Obama’s “Operation Choke Point” closing the account of licensed, bonded and insured Farnsworth Auctions LLC (Requires Facebook account to view.)

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“It will be a great day when taxpayers can keep all the money they earn, and professional sports teams have to hold bake sales to finance stadium construction.” – Doug Newman

Notes for Tuesday – February 23, 2016

On February 23, 1840, former President John Quincy Adams began to argue the Amistad case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. A practicing lawyer, member of the House of Representatives, and son of America’s second president who was an avowed abolitionist. Though John Quincy Adams downplayed his abolitionist stance, he also viewed the practice as contrary to the nation’s core principles of freedom and equality. In the arguments, Adams attacked Van Buren’s abuse of executive power. In a dramatic moment, Adams faced the judges, pointed to a copy of the Declaration of Independence hanging on the courtroom wall, and said “[I know] no law, statute or constitution, no code, no treaty, except that law…which [is] forever before the eyes of your Honors.” Adams’ skillful arguments convinced the court to rule in favor of returning the Africans to their native country.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 63 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a 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),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd 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),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus 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),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. 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, 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 transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  3. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  4. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  5. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  8. 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 $245 gift certificate from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. 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,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  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 63 ends on March 31st, 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.

Winter Survival- Part 1, by R.C.

In this three-part series on winter survival, we will examine surviving the winter on foot, in your vehicle, and in your home. We have all seen the videos of the recent storms and how even though the news have been reporting nonstop on the dangers of winter travel, the general public is out in it woefully unprepared. If you are reading this from your warm armchair or desk, I’m probably preaching to the choir. In the past I have been a snowplow operator, a first responder, and an instructor of CPR/First Aid and wilderness first aid in the Intermountain West. In my current line of work I have to occasionally work outside, and I am an avid outdoorsman.

On Foot

Rule #1 is that when the local authorities tell you to stay off the roads and stay home, please do so. I can’t tell you how many times I was plowing snow or responding to vehicle off-the-road calls when those people probably did not need to be out in the snow. There are a couple of sayings I used to teach Boy Scouts about winter survival:

  • There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear,
  • An Eskimo can’t afford to sweat, and
  • Cotton is rotten.

There are three types of winter gear I own— work gear, hunting gear, and ski gear. Yes, you can use one for the other, but we will stay with the prepper motto “three is two, two is one, and one is none”. I could ski in my carharts and work in my ski gear, but I choose not to. YMMV.

I want to stay with the rule of three’s for layering, starting from head to toe. First is a base layer, second is an insulating layer, and third is a waterproof/windproof layer. We will start with the head; even in the winter I still wear a mesh ballcap on top of my head. This lets the heat escape from my head if I’m moving. If I slow down or start getting cold I’ll put on an ear warmer or fleece/thinsulate hat over top of my ballcap. Then I add a neck gaiter to keep heat from leaving my face and neck area. If it is raining or snowing, I will wear a waterproof boonie or put my hood up. Don’t forget sunglasses or ski/military goggles; the winter sun reflects up and can burn your eyes and exposed skin. Please don’t forget sun block and lip stuff with a high spf. Some of worst sun burns I’ve seen in scouts have been from winter outings.

The core layer is next, using the same rule of three. Start with a base layer of polypro that breathes, then an insulating layer like fleece and finally a waterproof breathable outerwear like Gore-tex or similar membrane. I keep both gloves and mittens with extra liners in my pack to mix and match to current conditions found. The beauty of a three layer system is that you can put on or take off layers as need be. By keeping your core warm and dry and not sweating much, you can spend hours outside and still be comfortable. The feet can be the most difficult part to keep warm. Again, think about three layers. Start with polypro liners, then a pair of wool blend socks, followed by waterproof boots. I use the rubber mil surplus mickey boots or a leather Gore-tex insulated boots, depending what I’m doing that day. You can carry chem toe heaters or battery heated soles as well as extra socks if you have the room in your pack.

What to carry in regards to your EDC and/or your get home bag can fill pages of this and other blogs. This is what I try to carry. I’m a big guy carrying a big pack, probably too heavy for me and most people. Yes, I have a problem, I know. On my person I always have my phone, Leatherman, rescue knife, compact .40 handgun, extra magazine, a lighter, lip stuff, paracord belt, watch, ball cap, and photogray type eye glasses. I normally wear Gore-tex boots and comfortable clothing I could hike in year round. I keep extra cash hidden away and a pen and paper to write things down so I don’t forget. I carry a small amount of first-aid supplies in my wallet; this includes knuckle band aids, small triple antibiotic, CPR barrier, and a threaded needle. I can use the needle for clothing repair, to get a splinter out, or even to pop a blister. Just heat needle, cover with triple antibiotic, poke through the blister, and leave thread sticking out boths sides covered with triple antibiotic. Then, cover with a band aid and/or moleskin. Walking in snow boots can give you blisters and hot spots. Another scout trick is to put duct tape on your heals or other parts of your feet before you start hiking. If you don’t want to pop blisters that’s fine; just stop and deal with any feet problems as they arise. I carry a small flashlight on my carabiner key chain as well as a light on my phone. I can start a fire with my bic lighter or with my small frenzel lens in my big boy wallet. The lens is also helpful for reading small print or getting splinters out. I always carry at least one camo bandana in my back pocket with my spare .40 magazine.

In winter survival your water should be carried inside your clothes, if you can. I’ll wear a small camelback-style water carrier on my back so it does not freeze, or I’ll put a couple water bottles in my pockets. Then I carry extra water in my pack with a way to treat the water as well as melt the water. I carry a stainless steel water bottle so I can melt snow or thaw out ice in my container. To melt snow, I can start a fire or use an alcohol stove, like an esbit stove, or use their fuel tabs. You should have three ways to to start a fire and three ways to treat water. Using fire to boil water and chem tabs along with neutralizing tablets or a filter, like a small Sawyer filter, will get the job done. Dehydration is deadly in the winter, so you have to force yourself to stay hydrated. The worst dehydration I’ve seen has been scouts in the winter again. Have a buddy system, if you can, and keep track of the amont water you drink. Keep track of how much you pee as well.

The winter pack can quickly get rather large. I use an ILBE camo pack that can handle bulky winter clothes and gear. Inside my pack, I carry a winter sleeping bag like a miltary sleep system with a bivy sack, and Gore-tex rain gear with suspenders, polypro base layer, a hat, and gloves in the pockets. My first aid kit is large and heavy and used as a teaching aid. For food, I carry survival bars, jerky, trail mix, and peanut butter. Think pemmican, which is how American Indians survived the winter. I also carry some oatmeal, coffee, and a couple cup-a-soup packages. I carry a headlamp, spare batteries, and an inflatable solar lantern. There is also a large belt knife and long handle tomahawk as well as a container of bear spray. I carry a tarp along with a bunch of 550 cord attached to the outside of the pack. If I feel the need, I can include my kit for food procurement, which contains snares, a fishing kit with yo-yo reels, and a slingshot with extra bands and ammo. For nav & coms, I have a compass and maps, GPS radio combo, cell phone, and small wind up radio with charger cables and a power pack to recharging my cell phone. This is another heavy kit that adds more weight. For hygiene, I carry tp and hand sanitizer along with wet wipes. If you are going to carry emergency space blankets, please don’t buy the cheap ones. Purchase higher quality bivy sack types, then put in a couple 55-gal heavy trash can liners. You can cut a slit for your face to breathe. Winter survial on foot can be a frightening experience if you are not prepared and are not familiar with cold weather environments. Here is a quick review check list for on foot wilderness survival.

  • Three layers for head, body, hands, and feet.
  • Eye protection, sun & lip stuff, first aid kit, hygiene kit.
  • Three ways to start a fire and melt and treat water.
  • Extra food and a way to cook and make warm drinks.
  • A way to shelter from the cold.
  • Three ways to defend yourself and obtain food.
  • Three ways to see in the dark.
  • Three ways to navigate and communicate.

In part 2 of winter survival, we will look at winter survival in your vehicle. Then, in part three, we will look at winter survival at home. As we have said before and we told our scouts, “Good judgment comes from experience, and alot of experience comes from bad judgment.”

Letter Re: How to Prepare a Refugee Bug Out Bag

Hi Hugh,

I just want to quickly reply to the post after having first-hand experience in Europe witnessing the refugee flow. Backpacks and roller bags are what many had for a bag. This was, I believe, owing to the fact that boat, bus, and train travel was extensively used by the Middle East refugees. They planned their travel. They also were overwhelmingly young men, capable of hauling more weight on average. I would have guessed by the very modern attire everyone wore, that their bags contained clothing and toiletries. They were well groomed and clean looking refugees! Charles T suggests carrying. However, any of those refugees carrying would have been minimally arrested but more likely shot dead. Also, what Charles T didn’t state, at least yet, is to carry a phone and cash. These weren’t people without at least some money, which was pooled to rent a hotel for example, and all had a cell phone. To sum it up, they were seeking refuge, not looking to pitch camp. They relied on the “host countries” to provide minimum service and they also heavily relied on those going before them to update them of things via phone. Europe’s infrastructure is better suited than the U.S. for rapid mass public transit movements of people (remember Katrina?). Bug in whenever you can! – JJ in Wisconsin

News From The American Redoubt:

Video: The Oregon state sheriff association press release and Kris Ann Hall’s response to it. It’s pretty obvious that the police are (or at least think they are) federal. – J.A.

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Eastern Washington ought to secede sooner rather than later. Those that couldn’t foresee this result from the lunatic “gender neutral” laws are ignorant progressives. – T.Z.

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There are still some slots available for the North Idaho Boomershoot. (April 22-24.) This is a Rite of Spring, Idaho style. You gotta love an event where you legally shoot at explosives. OBTW, bonus points (and a free autographed book) to the first SurvivalBlog reader who writes an after-action report. – JWR

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Course Description for the 05-06 March SHTF Intelligence course in Kalispell, Montana and 12-13 March in Spokane, Washington. Folks in the American Redoubt should consider attending this to add to your bundle of skillsets. Thanks to John Jacob (of RadioFree Redoubt) for the heads up.

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Oregon Lawmakers Rush to Shield Name of Alleged Officer Who Shot Lavoy Finicum – RBS

Economics and Investing:

It Has Begun! Excerpt: “The process of discovering true value has begun, as indicated by the decline in the S&P, decline in the Shanghai Index, rise in gold stocks, rise in gold, and rise in silver. Expect it to continue.”

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We normally stay away from “zombies”, but this one is too good to pass up: No Way Out – B.B.

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

US Consumers Can’t Save the World Economy (Business Insider) Excerpt: “Consumption-led growth will help the U.S. economy expand by 2–2.5% again this year,” wrote Quinlan. “That’s good but not good enough for cyclical and structural reasons to prevent further downward pressure on global growth. The U.S. consumer just isn’t the powerful global growth engine it once was.”

Why According to One Bank, Massive Central Bank Intervention is Imminent (Zero Hedge) Excerpt: “Said otherwise, if next weekend the G-20 disappoints and unveils nothing, the next big leg down in the selloff will have arrived. How likely is such a major intervention? Keep an eye on the recently surging price of Bitcoin for the answer, and also Vancouver real estate, of course.” Warning: Commentary following article may contain bad language and/or inappropriate avatars.

Treasury Deposits at Fed Prop Up Money Supply Again in January (Mises) Excerpt: “For decades, treasury deposits remained at consistent levels, but since the financial crisis, treasury deposits have surged again and again. Today, they are now a significant factor in the movement of the total money supply, and have become an increasingly large factor over the past year.” Interested in more details about what makes up the money supply? Here’s the Austrian perspective at Mises with more information for interested readers: True Money Supply

International News

The Stressed-Out Oil Industry Faces an Existential Crisis (Bloomberg) Excerpt: “Welcome to oil’s new world order, full of stresses, strains and fractures. For leaders gathering in Houston next week at the IHS CERAWeek conference – often dubbed the Davos of the energy industry – a key question is: what will break first?” Warning: A video accompanies the type written report and may auto-launch.

EU’s Real Brake Isn’t Britain But Franco-German Impasse (Reuters) Excerpt: “Forget Brexit. The real obstacle to deeper European integration is not the awkward British, whether they choose to stay in the European Union with a “special status” or leave. It is a long-running Franco-German impasse on how to make the euro zone stronger and more sustainable, reconciling two radically different economic and political cultures.”

New Market Storm Could Catch Euro Zone Unprepared (Reuters) Excerpt: “…the storm clouds are gathering above a tenuous and slow euro zone economic recovery….”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

7 Top Tips for Saving Money in the Garden (This Little Home) Excerpt: “Here are my top tips to help you save money when gardening.”

How to Start a Garden on a Budget (Tenth Acre Farm) Excerpt: “ROI in the realm of vegetable gardening tends to be gradual. You’ll grow more and more produce each year as you hone your skills and become accustomed to your little slice of heaven. This fact can work in your favor. It means that the money you spend on development can also be gradual to match the gradually increasing return. If it were easy to grow $1,000 of produce in your first year, then the tips in this article would be a lot different! Expect your first year to be the starting point that it is. There’s no where to go but up!”

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Odds ‘n Sods:

Pastor Chuck Baldwin: Why Rand Paul Lost; Why Freedom Is Faltering

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The Enemy is Here – and our leaders are doing nothing. – SurvivalBlog reader K.F. sent in the link to the counter-jihad site. There are some excellent articles here dispelling the myth that moderate Islam is harmless.

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Reader B.B. sent in the link to Bearing Arms’ article profiling Polycase’s Ruger ARX ammo which is a polymer/copper composite. It’s a 10-minute video with some standard FBI tests comparing it to proven performers (Speer Gold Dot and Federal HST). If you are looking for a lead-free alternative, this might be for you, but it doesn’t perform well against these proven Self Defense loads.

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Reader RBS sent in this article with some amazing pictures of a Unique Wartime Aircraft Collection that Spent 40 Years in a Texas Barn. If you are a classic military airplane buff, you need to see this one.

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The Caterpillar S60 Is The First Smartphone To Have Built-In Thermal Imaging – sent in by G.P.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“The meaning of economic freedom is this: that the individual is in a position to choose the way in which he wants to integrate himself into the totality of society.” – Ludwig von Mises

Notes for Monday – February 22, 2016

On this day in 1732, George Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, the second son from the second marriage of a colonial plantation owner. An initially loyal British subject, Washington eventually led the Continental Army in the American Revolution and became known as the father of the United States.