Odds ‘n Sods:

Don’t miss this over at our friend Enola Gay’s always informative Paratus Familia blog: Product Review – Gun Skins. I particularly like the Molon Labe green camouflage. – JWR

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Spring could bring a fresh surge of refugees. But Europe isn’t ready for them. JWR’s Comment: My intel sources tell me that the social media buzz in the Middle East about European Invasion Part Deux has been building for many months. Emboldened by their success in 2015, I expect the spring and summer of 2016 to be a veritable deluge of uncouth humanity.

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A sweet tribute to all of the Trophy Wives out there from Krayton Kerns.

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I can’t agree with defaulting on any loan, but Federal marshals? What’s next? SWAT? US Marshals arresting people for not paying their federal student loans – JBG

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Detectives question lack of autopsy in Scalia death. On such a high profile, circumstances are certainly strange. There may not be any wrong-doing at all, but how will we ever know? – P.M.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“To tax the larger incomes at a higher percentage than the smaller, is to lay a tax on industry and economy; to impose a penalty on people for having worked harder and saved more than their neighbors.” – John Stuart Mill

Notes for Tuesday – February 16, 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.

How to Prepare a Refugee Bug Out Bag- Part 1, by Charles T.

The idea of leaving home and “living off the land” is a popular discussion point among preparedness-minded individuals. Many think they will grab their bug out bag and set off for a new life somewhere, foraging for wild edibles and having magical adventures on the way as they live out of their untested $200 tactical bag.

Let’s be real for a second. There is a word for someone who has lost their home and is now living out of a backpack; it’s refugee!

Last I checked, there was nothing glamorous about being a refugee, and if you are planning for this contingency you need to be prepared for some pretty serious physical, political, and emotional junk to be happening all at the same time. In a situation like this, you are going to be desperate and have no power to make any sort of calls. You will be at the whim of whatever authority there is in a region and have no legitimate claim to anything except the clothes on your back. You are going to need a lot more than a backpack full of MRE’s to be ready for this. As soon as you run out of food and you or your kid starts starving to death, you will be trying desperately to find a refugee camp that will take you in and will be grateful for some rice every day no matter the cost of personal liberty.

If you set out on your own without some sort of concrete plan, you will eventually have someone else making the decisions for you. This is why it is highly recommended that you have a concrete destination in mind when bugging out, ideally a safe place with pre-positioned supplies so you don’t need to carry heavy equipment with you.

So at this point let’s just be clear; unless you have extensive wilderness experience, packing a bag with the idea of heading into the woods and living off the land is a waste of time and will get you killed. If you have no clear destination in mind, like you would for a 72-hour bag as described extensively through SurvivalBlog, you are planning to become a refugee, not a survivalist.

Now that you have realistic expectations for your future, how can you prepare for it? There is nothing wrong with taking some steps now to prepare for becoming a refugee. In fact, thinking ahead of time could actually prevent you from ever getting to such a desperate place.

What would becoming a refugee look like?

Let’s look at a recent refugee crisis. In Syria an insurrection against the government turned into a full out civil war, which has lasted for years. Most normal people were not involved in the fighting and just wished for things to return to normal. But in many cities, the fighting eventually got so bad that local business were forced to close, leaving people without a means of earning money. With no money, people were unable to buy food. Food itself became scarce as delivery became dangerous.

Eventually normal families that may have not been in physical danger were forced by hunger to leave in search of food to eat. Others after seeing fighting in their backyard or maybe having a loved one killed decided to leave for an area of greater stability and safety.

In either case, realize that the need and desire for food and safety will always create a greater sense of urgency than the need for a roof over your head. A hungry or thirsty person will do anything in their pursuit of food, including leaving a house they have been paying for their whole lives. You would too, if the situation arose.

In Syria many people left their homes, either after careful consideration or as an immediate response to danger. Some packed as much as they could; others escaped with just the the clothes they were wearing.

If there was no close relative or friend they could go to, many were forced to leave and move to a different city or country. Once in a new location, they had no means of earning income other than manual labor, and many have became dependent on charity to survive. At the time of writing this many still live in massive refugee cities that are entirely supported by foreign and local aid. They have only the possessions they carried with them and whatever has been provided through charity.

What did they bring with them? I think that looking at some of their stories we can pick out common themes. Below are links to articles where refugees were asked what was the most important item they brought with them. Scroll through them if you have the time, and then we will discuss what the common themes were.

Before we start digging into the meat of what a refugee will need, let’s first assume that you have already packed a 72hr Bug Out Bag and have the essential items listed for that. A Refugee Bug Out Bag is built upon that foundation and does not necessarily need to be a different bag. That would be just too expensive. Instead, look at any differentiated items below and consider adding them to separate stuff sacks that can be paired with your 72hr Bag if you were leaving home without a clear destination. If there is no way it will all fit, consider investing in a larger bag or the alternative transportation methods listed at the end of the article.

There were several common items that you in the articles above where you can see as a trend what is valuable in the eyes of a refugee.

  1. Hope

    Many refugees describe their most valuable possession as something that gives them hope. Something that gives them the will to live through hell and keep hoping for something better.

    These could be:

    • Holy book
    • Picture of family or loved ones
    • Diploma or certifications
    • Precious family heirloom
    • Favorite toy
    • Identification and important documents
    • Medications

    These items are usually lightweight and the last thing that these refugees would give up.

    What gives you hope? Would a picture of your family keep you trudging on if you were separated from them? Would reading from scripture calm your soul in the midst of hell on earth? What is your child’s favorite toy that could help keep them sane if their whole world changed? Find something that is precious to you and put it with your 72hr Bug Out Bag and your Refugee Bug Out Bag.

  2. People

    Many refugees cite their family or friends as being all that they need. Don’t forget to plan for your family if you are thinking you may at some point become a refugee.

    You will rarely see refugees on their own. They have a tendency to group with others in similar plights. Why is this? Well, first off is loneliness. Being separated from everything that makes life stable is extremely isolating and depressing. Other people can keep you mentally sane. Don’t plan on being a lone wolf refugee; you won’t make it far.

    The second reason is safety. As the old saying goes, “There is safety in numbers”. Refugees are extremely vulnerable. Alone, they can easily be overpowered and have what little they have taken from them. As a group, though, it is a little more difficult without a substantial force to control them. A group of refugees is also harder to ignore and when necessary can take what they need by force. In an emergency that justifies swarms of people to abandon their homes and seek safety elsewhere, groups of refugees are your best bet for survival, but they may also provide some of the greatest threats on the road when two groups intersect with conflicting wants.

    To help protect yourself and the others that will be traveling with you, it makes sense to have access to firearms. Have a long distance rifle that can help minimize threats from a distance, and also keep a small pistol so that you can remain stealthily armed if you need to go somewhere carrying a rifle would not be prudent.

  3. Shelter

    Look at pictures of refugees on the move, and you will see that a large part of the load they carry is related to shelter. Blankets, tarps, ground pads and clothing are absolutely necessary for survival. Try sleeping outside on the ground without a ground pad and bedding. You can’t. In order to survive during the day, you need a good sleep at night.

    At a bare minimum, plan on having a roll up ground pad, sleeping bag, and a tarp. The pad provides some cushioning from the ground and insulates your body from having all its heat sucked into the earth. Bedding keeps you separated from bugs and retains body heat. A tarp can be set up as a roof or additional ground pad depending on the weather. If you want to have additional shelter options, get a tent large enough for your family to all sleep together. Just make sure you have at least one tarp for a ground pad under your tent, and ideally you will have an additional tarp that is twice the footprint of your tent that you can hang over your tent to minimize your tent’s direct exposure to rain and keep the ground surrounding you dry.

    The easiest way to get these items if you don’t already have them is to organize a family camping trip. Not only will you have the justification to buy tents and sleeping bags, you will also get to try everything out.

    In addition to the shelter you need for sleeping, you need shelter for the daytime. This consists of the clothes you will be wearing and whatever else you can afford to carry.

    Many refugees cited their shoes as their most prized possession. A good pair of waterproof hiking boots can keep you going farther than flip flops. Make sure you have good new boots for everyone in your family. Either keep a spare pair of everyone’s size or make sure you refresh them frequently.

    Don’t forget extra socks as well; they wear out quickly. Just plan on having at least three pair, changing them daily to prevent blisters and prematurely aging. Wash and air dry the used pairs while another is being worn.

    Moving up the body you want a pair of pants that will last. Buy some quality denim or hiking pants that will last a lot longer than you think you will need them. Frogtoggs makes lightweight waterproof pants that you can carry and only use if it is raining to help keep you dry.

    The torso layering is key. Instead of packing a heavy jacket, have multiple layers starting with a t-shirt of Under Armour, followed by increasing long sleeve layers with a waterproof shell jacket on top. This combination allows you to dress for whatever the weather is and not have too many extra clothes to carry.

  4. Water

    If you look at many pictures of refugees, you will often times see them carrying multiple large water containers. This is because water is absolutely critical. You won’t realize how valuable water is until you don’t have it. Water is obviously used for drinking, but it is also essential for food preparation and hygiene. Having the ability to carry large quantities of water with you is necessary, and if you are moving on a long trip the weight of the water will decrease as time goes on as it is consumed, and you can just hold onto the container for when the next refill opportunity comes.

    Have some clear PBA free Nalgene and one gallon water jugs that can be used for solar water purification. When you fill them from a clear pollutant free source just put a coffee filter or bandanna over the top to keep out sediment, and then expose them to sunlight for at least 6 hours to let the solar radiation kill any harmful bacteria that are present. This is a longer version of using a Steripen but without the need for batteries and can be happening passively while you do other things.

    Also keep some larger 5-gallon containers on hand for storing purified water or grey water for cooking. A 5-gallon pail can be used to carry water from a far location to camp, and then double as a container for cooking supplies when on the road.

    Other methods of filtering include boiling water, using a Lifestraw or camping water purifier, or adding 1/8 teaspoon (8 drops) of bleach to a gallon of water.

    All of these require specialized tools with finite lifespans. That is why it is recommended to have clear bottles that can be used with UV energy from the sun, since as long as you have the bottle you will have a means of purifying the water.

Letter Re: Constitutional Carry

Hugh,

I’d like to make a comment regarding “Constitutional Carry” laws that are in the works around the country. We had one here in Maine pass last year. Ours has conditions mandating the disclosure of carrying should you encounter a police officer. The premise of creating a state law (with conditions, infringements, etc) in order to enforce a Constitutional law is unconstitutional. This is usurping the Constitution at the state level. Even worse, the “Constitutional Carry” law is just another typical state law that can be repealed by any future legislature. I would encourage anyone in any state that is in the process of creating such a law, or contemplating it, to contact their legislators and hammer into their heads that any existing concealed carry permitting process requirements are unconstitutional and that the judicial branch of the state should abolish any such permitting process and associated state laws administratively through the court due to those processes and laws being illegal. Furthermore, the court should issue a statement declaring that the state shall honor the 2nd Amendment from hence forward. It’s truly the only way we can guarantee our constitutional right to carry concealed or otherwise…. well… other than just ignoring any permitting process altogether… but we’ll at least try to play along with the “justice” system. -P.B. in ME

News From The American Redoubt:

Militiaman Blaine Cooper claims patriot rancher LaVoy Finicum left his weapons at refuge before leaving on trip that led to his death – RBS

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The Remotest Place in the Lower 48. (Of course it is in the American Redoubt.)

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Rare weather event produces spontaneous snowballs in Idaho

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Montana: Financial despair, addiction and the rise of suicide in white America – Not all is rosy in the American Redoubt.

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SurvivalRealty.com has a client who as written about life in the Canadian Wilderness.

Economics and Investing:

Deranged Central Bankers Blowing Up The World – S.Q.

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Financial Crisis 2016: High Yield Debt Tells Us That Just About EVERYTHING Is About To Collapse

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

What Energy Bankers are REALLY Saying: “We are looking to save ourselves now!” (Zero Hedge) Excerpt: “…anyone holding out for a big push higher across energy equities as a result of a wave of distressed equity M&A can give up: according to Credit Suisse the next wave of mergers will take place via ‘debt negotiations’, not equity buyout offers….” Warning: Commentary following the article may contain bad language and/or inappropriate avatar images.

US Oil Bankruptcies Spike 379% (CNN Money) Excerpt: “It looks pretty bad. We fully anticipate it’s only going to get worse….” Watch closely as well for news about bank exposure to potential debt defaults: From USA Today… How Bad Will It Get for the Banks?

International News

The Five Fears Stalking the Global Banking Industry (The Guardian) Excerpt: “China, emerging markets, the eurozone, oil and commodities all pose a threat to the banking sector this year.”

Opinion: Falling Oil Prices Will Bankrupt the Likes of Russia, Saudi Arabia (Market Watch) Excerpt: “We could soon be back in a full-scale sovereign-debt crisis, except this time it will be commodity exporters that are caught up in the maelstrom rather than peripheral eurozone countries. But just like the eurozone crisis, the losses will soon ripple out to the banking system, and before long there may well have to be series of emergency bailouts.”

IMF and World Bank Move to Forestall Oil-Led Defaults (Financial Times) Excerpt: “Azerbaijan depends on oil and gas for 95 per cent of its exports and the fallout of its currency weakness has sparked a series of protests across the country rattling the government of President Ilham Aliyev.”

Is Saudi Arabia Approaching an Economic Breaking Point? (The Globe and Mail) Excerpt: “This is a different Saudi Arabia. The days of the state taking care of the population from cradle to grave seems over. This could have massive ramifications for the kingdom and its people, from economics to politics. The existing social contract between the rulers and the ruled is under threat.”

Economist Suggests that Correa is Out of Touch with Ecuador’s Economic Crisis (Cuenca High Life) Excerpt: “Asked by Padilla about the economic situation, Correa replied that, compared with the country he inherited in 2007, “we’re now a middle-class family, with a cement house, a car, a legalized piece of land, children with education, health. Perhaps we’ve got a problem, perhaps we lost our employment, as head of the family, but he’s got a credit card to continue subsisting,” Correa said.”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

The Effect of Deflation on Debt (The Nest) Seriously. Get out of debt! Excerpt: “Deflation has an even bigger risk. Because falling prices tend to reduce spending, deflation leads to a shrinking economy. If people buy fewer products, companies need fewer people to make them. This can lead to broad job losses. If you lose your job, you could end up unable to pay off your debt at all.”

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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:

SurvivalBlog reader D.B. sent in this link to an article on the vehicle mounted anti-ambush shotgun arrays used in Rhodesia. Having problems being ambushed?

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In the relentless march to bring SkyNet into reality: Darpa robot ship. Question is, how long before they decide to arm one? – DMS

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Reader B.B. sent in the link to a nice video on antique hand cranked sewing machines. This link has a nice instructional video as well as an article.

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70 percent of Americans are being treated for a depression they DON’T HAVE, says award-winning investigative journalist. Is this because we can’t manage our own health anymore and the current trend is to push pills? Or are we just a lazy society drifting through life without any meaning? – D.S.

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BBC News – Laser pointers should be classed as offensive weapons. Excerpt: “Laser pointers should be classed as “offensive weapons”, the British Airline Pilots Association has said. The call comes after a New York-bound plane was forced to turn back to London Heathrow Airport after a laser beam hit the cockpit after take off, causing a “medical issue” for one of the pilots.”

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“The right to keep and bear arms is neither granted by nor guaranteed by the Constitution. The Second Amendment merely names and acknowledges the right and confirms government pledges not to infringe on that right. Just as we don’t gain the right to be armed by any document, nor do we keep it or lose it by any document, nor does any document confer validity or any other particular quality to it, nor can any document expand or reduce it. A document is an incidental artifact, it may be reinterpreted or altered or even withdrawn, but the right it attempts to describe remains.

“Natural rights are not dispensed by men. One man can’t give another man permission to be armed, it’s not his to give. Permission schemes are worse than invalid, worse than fraud, worse than “pre-crime” star chambers, although they are all of these. Permission schemes are a denial of personhood itself. The right to be armed does not rest on its acceptability to others. No legislative or judicial body can claim authority to dispense the right to keep and bear arms and also claim legitimacy, and no person can apply for permission and see himself as, or be seen as, or be, a free man.” – Ol’ Remus, in the Yer Ol’ Woodpile Report blog

Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Beyond Locks – Door Security

For much of my life I’ve been involved in law enforcement, security, K-9 security, private investigations, and security consulting in one form or another. It’s been a fairly diverse and exciting career, to be sure. I’m hardly ever bored on most days. I still do some security consulting these days and training, mainly in the firearms field, as time permits. For a guy who is supposed to be at the very least semi-retired, I find myself busier than I care to be most days. I don’t know what happened to my retirement dreams of hunting, fishing, and sitting on the front deck of my home watching the world pass by, but thus far that part of my retirement dream hasn’t materialized.

For whatever reason, when I lived in Portland, Oregon, back in 1979-1981 doing private investigations with one of the few PI companies around, there were a lot of people coming to us with security concerns. Many people came to us wanting us to “sweep” their homes for listening devices, which we did. One time we actually found one. Go figure? When I lived back in the Chicago, Illinois area, I did a lot of security consulting. Much of this consisted of helping make businesses more secure or safe by installing burglar and silent alarms in their businesses, and on the night shift I actually answered alarms and honestly caught a lot of bad guys who had broken into businesses.

Security covers a lot of different topics. Some involve packing a handgun so you’ll feel more secure when you are out and about, and these days you can’t feel too safe on the mean streets if you ask me. So, that is but one layer of security. Your home is your castle, and you should always feel safe there. However, depending on where you live, you may not feel secure and safe at all. I’ve seen many homes in some big cities in the “bad” part of town with steel bars on the doors and windows. You shouldn’t have to live like that, and I wouldn’t. I’d find a way to move to a safer area, somehow. That isn’t living; that is urban survival, hardcore!

When I was tasked with doing a security analysis on a home or business, one of the first things I would point out to the customer was the weakness of their doors and windows. Let’s be honest here; there is only so much you can do to make your windows stronger. Face facts; glass breaks, easily! Then we have doors, and most builders install some really cheap wooden doors, as directed by the designer of the house. Then we have the door locks, and once again they are a weak source. Most locks can easily be broken with a few kicks or a large hammer. There are no 100% solutions to all your security needs, no matter what you may do to make your home safer.

At my digs, in rural Oregon, I have a fairly good secondary line of security in my German Shepherds. They can hear when someone comes into our driveway long before I hear it, and they go on alert. These days, I’m down to only three German Shepherds. I’ve had a lot more than that at one time. I had to put down my main, prize winning male last summer, and it was hard to do, but his hips gave out, and he had a good life. He was almost 14-years old. That’s a long time for big breed dogs to live. However, I still have one of his sons and two more German Shepherds to help protect our digs. A big dog barking usually sends people away, if they have evil deeds on their minds. So, I often recommend a large breed dog to folks, as one layer of home security.

Our windows are all high enough off the ground that it would require a ladder to reach them, and even during the summer months we only open a few windows just far enough to get some fresh air circulating or have an a/c unit installed in a window. During the winter months, all windows are closed and locked. Then we have the doors in our home. We actually have three doors leading to the outside. Our small backyard is completely fenced in, making it difficult but not impossible for someone to come in through the two backdoors. We do not have gates leading to the backyard. Then there is the front door, and it is an older wooden door with a door knob lock and a dead bolt.

As much as I’d like to believe our home is pretty secure, there is always more than can be done, always. I do count on my dogs protecting my home, even when we are away. One dog travels with me whenever I leave the house, and two stay home to protect the place, and there is no doubt that they will do their job. As an example, our youngest daughter hadn’t been around for a visit for quite a few months. She is now in Rwanda, Africa in the Peace Corps, but that’s another story! Well, the youngest daughter came home for a visit, and she was next door at our small guest house, where our oldest daughter lives, and they both came over for lunch. We didn’t know the youngest was there and coming over. Well, when the oldest daughter walked in, the dogs barked at her, like they always do. It wasn’t vicious; they just barked at her as I trained them to do when anyone comes in. The youngest daughter was right behind our oldest, and our little female German Shepherd couldn’t see who was behind our oldest daughter. Fearing it was someone who wasn’t supposed to come in the house, she went after the youngest and nipped her in the leg, before she realized who she bit. So, I know our dogs will protect our home!

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Still, we are always tasked with trying to find a way to make our homes more secure, and as I mentioned, there is always something more you can do. Enter www.beyondlocks.com – a company that specializes in making the doors, all the doors in your home, more secure against break-in. They have a number of different devices that can be added to your doors and door frames, even your overhead garage door to make you more secure, when you are home and even when you are away from your home.

Beyond Locks sent me three of their devices for making the doors of your home more secure. Quite honestly, I’m one of these people who said, “Now, why didn’t I think of that?” These devices are so simple in design, but they’re designed to keep your doors more secure. I’ll tell you right up front that I did not install any of the samples they sent me because I will be replacing my outside doors this coming summer. There isn’t anything wrong with them, but they are getting old. So, I didn’t want to install any of the hardware sent to me only to have to remove it when the doors get replaced.

Now, with the above disclaimer stated, you can watch several videos on the Beyond Locks website to see how effective these various, and simple devices can be to help keep the bad guys out of your house. What I viewed on the videos was very impressive, very! First up is the Door Reinforcer– a simple two-piece product that installs over the dead bolt of your door. Believe it or not, it isn’t that difficult to take a large hammer or even start kicking on the dead bolt area of your door, before it gives way. It’s not a good thing! The Door Reinforcer simply “cuddles” your dead bolt on the inside and outside of the door, reinforcing all that much more, and this device can be installed in five minutes with a drill and screw driver. The price is $36.97!

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Next up we have the Security Strike, and this massive striker installs in the door frame. This is a huge, 8-inch long striker that your door dead bolt or door knob lock locks into, and it is secured with eight, 4-inch long screws. When someone is trying to kick-in your door or pry it open, the strike plate will probably be one of the first things to go. Again, we have a simple installation– a screw driver and a drill – which will take you all of about five minutes to install. The price is $17.97-$19.97, depending on which model you pick.

Last up is the Security Hook, and this is a massive Aluminum hook that when installed goes over the door knob inside the house. It is secured into the stud in the door frame with a massive lag bolt. Once again, a drill is used to drill a pilot hole, and the lag bolt also comes with the “Spax” Torx adaptor to use with a ratchet set to install it. It’s another five minute job, if it takes that long to install. You simple lift up on the Security Hook to place it over the door knob when you want to secure the door. Then, it takes about two seconds to “arm” it. The price is $24.97, which is nice!

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When I install the new doors in my home, I will be installing all three of these products and will probably order a few more to double the security on each door. Even though I live out in the boonies, one never knows when a bad guy might come along and, seeing no cars in the driveway, want to attempt to break into my home. You can’t be too safe. Can I say it any clearer than that? For a small amount of money, you can easily install any or all of these products from Beyond Locks on your exterior doors to give you a little more peace of mind.

Be sure to check out the very impressive videos on the Beyond Locks website. You’ll see some serious attempts by actors trying to break into a house. Some targets are regular doors with no added security, and the others are doors that have the various Beyond Locks devices installed. While nothing is fool proof, any one of these simple-to-install devices on your doors will give you a little more peace of mind when you are home or away. It just makes it that much harder for a bad guy to get into you place, and in short order they will move on to the next house– one that will be easier to kick the door in. Peace of mind, that’s what it’s all about– peace of mind in your own home!

– Senior Product Review Editor, Pat Cascio

How to Use Old Cooking Oil: The Floating Wick

A few months ago, one of my consulting clients mentioned that she had over-stocked her supply of vegetable oil. She had also neglected to store it in her freezer, to extend its storage life. The result after four years was 10 quarts of corn oil and two quarts of olive oil that had gone rancid. She asked if there was anything she could do with the oil. (She bemoaned the fact that that olive oil was particularly expensive.) My reply: Buy some floating wicks, and burn up that oil as a source of light and heat, during power failures.

Floating wicks (also known as “water candles”) are particularly popular in Israel, as a replacement for more expensive traditional candles, for Chanukah celebrations and at weddings. These are simply short pieces of waxed wick that are passed through a thin disc of cork with an aluminum heat shield on one side. In my experience, each one of these lasts for an average of 20 hours of burning time, if you push up and trim the wick with scissors after the first 8 or 10 hours of burning. The cooking oil is consumed very slowly, and when burning fresh oil they are nearly odorless. (Although, leaving any rancid oil out in a room will of course produce a bit of odor. However, that sure beats just dumping $20 per gallon olive oil on your compost pile.)

Floating wicks provide very thrifty emergency lighting! You can buy a box containing 50 wicks and 50 floats for as little as $1.35. (I prefer the larger diameter variety, which is a bit more expensive.) At that price, I would recommend buying at least one or two dozen boxes. (Since these are very compact, lightweight, durable, versatile, divisible and eminently useful, they will undoubtedly be great to store for bartering.)

Note: Although the markings on the boxes are in Hebrew, these are actually now made in Mainland China. This is yet another sad example of modern-day “Made only in China” consumer products.

For safety, it is best to burn floating wicks in a very stable, shallow container with a heavy flat bottom such as: the cut-off and sanded bottom half of a punted wine bottle (see video), a drinking tumbler with a heavy base, or a square-bottomed glass or stainless steel pet food bowl. (Not plastic!) Put a half inch of water in the bottom of the bowl, so that the wick will be self-dousing once all of the thicker layer of oil on top has been consumed. With a large bowl, you can burn several wicks in the same bowl simultaneously to throw additional light.

You can adjust doused wicks without getting your fingers oily if you use a pair of blunt hair-pulling tweezers. (The boxes of floating wicks usually each come with a tiny pair of plastic tweezers, but they are pretty pathetic. Get a proper pair of tweezers.)

These same floating wicks can be used to burn a wide variety of plant and vegetable-derived oils that are triglycerides, including: Corn oil, saffola oil, soybean oil, rapeseed/canola oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, and olive oil. Warning: Just don’t attempt to use these wicks with anything more volatile, such as diesel or kerosene!

By the way, you can also easily modify a kerosene lamp to burn vegetable oils, with mixed results. See this video for details.

Also, the kerosene lamp burners that screw on to the top of standard small-mouth Mason jars are available via mail order. These are also quite versatile, so stock up, but note that because the thin glass lamp chimneys are so incredibly fragile and prone to damage in shipment I recommend buying them locally rather than by mail order. Buy at least two chimneys per lamp base.

I recommend that every well-prepared family should keep plenty of floating wicks on hand for barter, for your own use for any cooking oil that has gone rancid, or for any oil that you predict will go rancid before you have the chance to use it. – JWR

Recipe of the Week: Quick Texas Chili, by Sawyer

No self-respecting Texican would ever put mushrooms or beans in chili. You can serve chili with beans, but never Beans in chili.

Ingredients:

The easy way is to use Wick Fowler’s Two Alarm Chili Mix, I have never been able to make it better myself.

However, you can duplicate it yourself if you are averse to buying a pre-packaged mix:

  • 2 lbs ground beef, ground for chili (I prefer a mixture of Venison and Wild Hog/fat back myself)
  • 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 4 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
  • 1?4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1?2 cup chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons masa harina flour
  • 1?4 cup hot water

Directions

  1. Brown beef in a Dutch oven; drain.
  2. Add tomato sauce, 2 cups water, paprika, cumin, onion flakes, garlic salt, chili powder, and ground red pepper.
  3. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Dissolve 2 tablespoons masa into 1/4 cup hot water to make a thick, but flowable mixture.
  5. Add masa mixture to chili.
  6. Cover and simmer another 15-20 minutes.
  7. This makes TRUE Texas Chili.

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Useful Recipe and Cooking Links Submitted by T.A.:

Southwestern Style Eggrolls (Life with the Crust Off) These are absolutely delicious!

Barn Dance Bean Dip (Kudos Kitchen by Renee) Tasty side dish with crunchy tortilla chips or as an alternative filling for the eggrolls linked above!

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Letter Re: Making a Final Run

Dear Hugh,

In regards to the final run concept, I have to add my contrarian view and say, don’t do it! I have witnessed first hand the competitive spirit of people at a Walmart prior to a weakened hurricane making landfall. It made Black Friday look calm. Any perceived event that would be seen as significant enough for the general population to panic and flock to stores will be extremely dangerous. Why risk physical danger to the “runner”, damage to that person’s vehicle, exposure to any illness being carried by members of the general population, (which could be the reason for the panic in the first place), the risk of gangs drawn to such areas full of easy prey, the risk of being detained by police as order breaks down, the risk of not being able to get home or to one’s bugout location due to road closures by county, state, or federal officials, or how about something as simple as maintenance issues. The last runner will likely be a well-trained leader of a group or family. Can you afford to lose that person? Do you have task lists prepared, understood, and trained on by the next man or woman who will replace this individual when they cannot get back? No, I think those first few hours are more important getting people focused on the initial tasks that will need to be accomplished by a group or family. Get your preps squared away now. Plan what your group needs to accomplish in the first hours of an event. You might use Army Field Manuals that contain checklists concerning occupation of the defense to build custom checklists that can be used for training, refinement, and execution. The first hours of the event that triggers your group or family to execute your occupation plan will be stressful. It will be made more stressful by the absence or delayed arrival of a key leader going shopping. Skip it, make due, prep ahead, get your plan in motion. – An old paratrooper

Economics and Investing:

Fingerprints for Food: Venezuela Rolls Out New Plan to Keep Shelves Stocked. “…critics warn that the scheme — which is not mandatory for the moment — will be one more way for the state to keep tabs on the population, or might be a precursor to rationing.” Submitted by T.A.

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‘Look out, we are heading for a crash again’, warns William White, the central banker who predicted 2008 crisis – G.G.

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

Food Stamp Beneficiaries Exceed 45M for 55 Straight Months (Washington Free Beacon) Excerpt: “The USDA has been tracking data on participation in the program since 1969, when average participation stood at about 2,800,000. Since then, participation in the program has increased by over 1,500 percent, while the country’s population has increased by roughly 60 percent.”

Lawmakers Warn Up to 30 Corporations Might Flee US Taxes (Washington Examiner) Excerpt: “Republicans’ top tax-writer in the House of Representatives warned Friday morning that the rush of companies moving their headquarters out of the U.S. for tax purposes might surge in 2016, suggesting that up to 30 could leave.”

Importing Lower Wages as 75% of Silicon Valley’s Tech Workers are Foreign Born: How Tech Manipulates the H1-B Visa Program for Cheap Labor (My Budget 360) Excerpt: “There is a massive demand for H-1B visas around the United States but in particular in Silicon Valley. Among the total working population, 45 percent of workers are foreign born, but in tech, the numbers are skewed with 75 percent being foreign born and many are here on H-1B visas earning a much lower wage than their American counterparts.”

People Over 50 Carrying More Debt Than In The Past (Wall Street Journal) Excerpt: “Older Americans are burdened with unprecedented debt loads as more and more baby boomers enter what are meant to be their retirement years owing far more on their houses, cars and even college loans than previous generations.” Note: The Wall Street Journal requires sign-on and/or subscription for access to some content.

International News

Shops’ Electricity Rationed in Crisis-Hit Venezuela (Yahoo News) Excerpt: “Venezuelans are accustomed to severe shortages of cooking oil, diapers and other staple products. But those hoping to buy what they could find got a new unpleasant surprise this week. They found malls dark and shuttered under a government electricity rationing regime.”

Millions Face “Retirement Crisis” Over Pensions Tax Raid (The Telegraph) Excerpt: “… a decision to scrap higher rate tax relief on pension contributions would ‘penalise’ middle class savers even further and discourage them from putting aside sufficient money for their retirement.”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

50 Nifty Tricks for DIY Savings (This Old House) Excerpt: “Remember when the tightfistedness of relatives raised during the Depression was amusing? Our grandparents’ certificates of deposit and plastic couch protectors seemed downright quaint when our own home-equity and retirement portfolios were ballooning. Suddenly, though, the pot-roast-and-potatoes ethic doesn’t seem quite so kooky.”

Top 10 Money Saving DIYs of the Year (Keeper of the Home) Excerpt: “So how do you know what DIYs are worth it, and which ones aren’t? You listen to those who have been there, done that!”

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