Odds ‘n Sods:

Mitch Beaudoin from the Burntroot Broadcasting podcast in Canada recently posted his interview (Part 1 and Part 2) with James Wesley, Rawles. This is an excellent interview for those who are just now getting in to the survival/prepper frame of mind as it covers the basics and some history.

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I just noticed that we are rapidly approaching the milestone of 80 million unique visits. Thanks for making SurvivalBlog such a great success. Even after 10 years, there are still some folks who are still unaware of the blog’s existence. So a link in your blog, web page, or e-mail footer would be greatly appreciated. Many Thanks! – JWR

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SurvivalBlog reader B.B. sent in this article: Immigrant Activist Makes History By Becoming New York’s First Undocumented Lawyer. The statement that this person “passed the Bar” makes one realize that apparently a lawyer is not required to follow the law in order to practice. Illegal Immigration is a misdemeanor crime and if repeated after deportation becomes punishable as a felony. How can we claim to be a lawful nation when we knowingly authorize those who flagrantly flaunt the breaking of law to practice in our justice system. How can a person possibly attain justice when the system disregards the very law it is supposed to uphold?

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The 4th Circuit applied strict scrutiny to Maryland’s gun control law in a win for the Second Amendment. Sent in by J.C.

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Reader JBG sent in this article from USA Today detailing how the UK wants authority to serve warrants in U.S. The proposed plan does not allow access to U.S. citizen’s data, but the possibility for abuse exists.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Thus saith the Lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.” – Jeremiah 33:20-22 (KJV)

Notes for Friday – February 05, 2016

On February 5th, 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt announced his plan to expand the Supreme Court to as many as 15 Judges. This unconstitutional move was in response to the hostility that the court held towards his “New Deal”, itself an unconstitutional expansion of government authority. Roosevelt was flushed with his landslide victory in 1936, so Roosevelt pressed his advantage. In April of that year, two justices conceded the high moral ground and capitulated to his demands allowing for a narrow victory on the New Deal. The reorganization was now unnecessary and in July the Senate struck it down, but the damage was already done. By 1942, all but two of the justices were Roosevelt’s appointees setting the stage for the collapse of the checks and balances in the government along with the morally disastrous progressive rulings that have followed.

Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Springfield Armory EMP 4

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When the first Springfield Armory EMP series of shrunk down 1911s came out, I took a wait and see attitude before requesting a sample for an article on SurvivalBlog.com. I was really impressed with that little gun. It was darn near the perfect packin’ pistol, as my long-time friend and fellow gun writer, John Taffin, has been searching for all his life. The little EMP sample I had was in .40 S&W, and it was a very snappy pistol in the recoil department, very snappy! There wasn’t much I didn’t like about it.

Last December, my super-secret contact at Springfield Armory sent me the newest list of firearms for 2016, and I was under threat of torture and/or death not to reveal it to anyone until their newest guns were revealed at The SHOT Show. I went over that list several times and requested some samples of the newest handguns from Springfield Armory, and we’ll have reports on some of those guns on SurvivalBlog.com coming along soon. However, going over that list numerous times, I failed to pay attention to the new EMP 4 model. My eyes just skipped over it. I thought it was just the original EMP model that got included on the list by mistake. You see, I’m smart, just not all of the time!

Just prior to The SHOT Show 2016, I was going over the new Springfield Armory newest product list and looked closely at the EMP. My eyes were opened! The EMP that I thought was an older model wasn’t! The newest EMP is called the EMP 4, and it comes with a 4” Bbl; the originals came with a 3” Bbl. Here’s the skinny and specs on the newest EMP that you can find on the Springfield Armory website; I don’t like boring our readers with a rehash of specs that they can read for themselves, so direct them to the specs at the gun company’s website.

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When the original EMP came out, it really shook up the 1911 industry. The EMP isn’t just a cut-down, compact version of the full-sized 1911. Nope! Instead, what we have is a 1911 that appears to have been tossed in a hot dryer and shrunk down in all dimensions in size. It isn’t just a simple cut down 1911; it’s an entirely different creature. There are no less than 17 different parts in the EMP that will not fit into the original 1911. They are proprietary parts that only fit in the EMP, and the corresponding parts from an full-sized 1911 won’t fit into the EMP.

Springfield Armory designers, under the guidance of Dave Williams who runs their Custom Shop, came out with a smaller and much more comfortable 1911 that is much easier to conceal and is available in 9mm or .40 S&W. It came in slightly different models, too. The 9mm and .40 S&W are smaller rounds than the grand ol’ .45 ACP. As such, they don’t require a platform the size of a 1911 that shoots .45 ACP in order to fit into it. Yes, there are full-sized 1911s that shoot 9mm and .45 ACP ammo as well as other calibers. However, there is that “wasted” space in a full-sized 1911 that a 9mm or .40 S&W doesn’t need. Hmm?

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I anxiously awaited my EMP 4 for testing. Unfortunately, I placed my order just prior to The SHOT Show and had to wait for everyone to get back and start shipping the guns out. It was a long, long week to wait for my sample.

Once again, SurvivalBlog.com doesn’t run our articles based on a press release, and many blogs and even some gun magazines were quick to report online about the new EMP 4 without ever shooting one. We don’t do that at SurvivalBlog.com and never will. If we don’t have a product in hand to actually test, we aren’t going to report what a press release says. I believe that we have once again got the jump on most blogs and are giving our readers a first-hand report, a first look, based on actually shooting the EMP 4.

What we have with the EMP 4 in 9mm is a slightly longer sight radius, because of the 4” Bbl, and the gun comes with three 10-rd mags with slam pads. The original EMP 9mm only holds 9-rds in the mags. The EMP 4 is slightly longer, front to back and top to bottom, than the original EMP, and I don’t have a problem with that added length and height at all. Plus, with the 4” Bbl, you can wring out a little more velocity from the 9mm round, compared to the original 3” Bbl.

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The barrel is a ramped bull barrel, which is heavy, and that also helps accuracy and velocity. The frame is black anodized, forged aluminum, and the slide is a brushed stainless steel that is forged, of course. The gun comes in at 31 oz unloaded. We also have some nice, thin Cocobolo wood grips with the Springfield Armory logo on them; I love the look. The trigger is a match-grade one that is perfectly fit with no slop. There is an ambidextrous thumb safety, and this is my only minor complaint. I could live with a single-side thumb safety; it’s just my druthers. We have a nice “beaver tail” grip safety with a memory bump and a checkered, flat mainspring housing. We also have the speed, Delta hammer for fast lock-up.

As we move up the slide, there are angled grasping grooves on the rear of the slide, for a sure grip. The ejection port is lowered and flared for positive ejection of empty brass and live rounds. The rear sight is a genuine Novak combat sight, with two white dots. Then we move to the front sight that has a red fiber optic in it, which is great for combat and speed shooting. It’s very fast to pick up this combination of white dots on the rear sight and the red fiber optic front sight. Plus, Springfield also includes some additional fiber optic material– another red one and a bright green one, if you choose to change out the front sight or if it happens to break. For the record, I’ve never had a fiber optic front sight break on me. It is quick and easy to change the front sight to a different color if you choose to.

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With the heavy bull barrel, there is no traditional barrel bushing. Instead, the recoil spring set-up is a captured unit, and Springfield supplies the special tool for field stripping the gun. Yeah, it takes a little more effort, but I’ve yet to have a competition during a gun fight to see who could take their 1911 apart faster for cleaning and maintenance!

A note on the EMP magazines: they are proprietary to the EMP; they won’t fit or function in any other 1911s. They are smaller than regular 1911 mags, and regular 1911 mags, even 9mm mags, won’t fit and function in the EMP. The mags are made by Mec-Gar in Italy, who manufacturers mags for many of the big name firearms makers. They make some of the best mags to be had.

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The front strap has something that looks like tiny squares or diamonds in it, instead of the traditional cross checkering that many people object too for some reason. My own wife says that most front strap checkering is too aggressive on her hand. It’s not so with the “checkering” on the EMP 4. It is a gentle type of pattern that still allows a sure grip on the gun, under any weather conditions. I like it, a lot!

The EMP 4 also comes in a great dark gray polymer carrying case, with a holster, a dual magazine pouch, the three magazines, the gun, a gun lock, fiber optic material, instruction manual, and other goodies. It is always a problem when gun companies come out with a new gun model to try finding a holster; it’s difficult at best. So, Springfield gives you a holster and dual mag pouch to start with. What’s not to like here? The gun is ready to go out of the box. Just strap on the dual mag pouch and slide the paddle holster onto your trousers and you’re ready for concealed carry. Only thing is, I don’t care for paddle holsters. However, the EMP 4 will fit in many (not all) 1911 holsters. I tried my EMP 4 sample in several various holsters made for 1911s from Black Hawk Products and the gun fit nicely, thank you! The frame and slide on the EMP line are slightly thinner than that found on the “regular” 1911s. It’s something to keep in mind if you are looking at some leather holsters. The EMP might be a sloppy fit in some loosely molded leather holsters.

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When my gun shop sent me a text that my EMP 4 sample arrived, I was in my pickup truck before texting them back that I was on my way. The 12-minute drive seemed to take an hour for some reason, in a pouring rain no less. I made sure that all the parts for my new EMP 4 were there and the paper work was done. You have to understand that the guys at the gun shop I haunt take great pride in sometimes taking my gun samples apart, completely apart on me, or “forgetting” to put some of the parts back in the gun, like a firing pin. More than once I’ve had a new gun sample go “click” instead of “bang” on me, thanks to these jokers. A cell phone call to them will tell me where they hid the firing pin in the box on me.

I grabbed two boxes of 9mm ammo off my work bench, before heading out to pick up the EMP 4. The two I grabbed couldn’t be much different from one another if I tried. I had a box of Black Hills Ammunition 100-gr frangible ammo that is used by some police departments for indoor range training because they don’t ricochet or damage the steel backstop; they break apart. I also grabbed a box of Buffalo Bore Ammunition 124-gr JHP +P+ ammo. This was just what was on my work bench, as I wanted to run a few rounds through the gun before taking it home.

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The first three 10-rd mags were loaded with the Black Hills 100-gr frangible ammo. In the first three mags, I had four failures to fire with the EMP 4. This is not uncommon with this type of range ammo. Many brands have a really hard primer because of the primer compound that keeps the air cleaner on indoor ranges. I examined the four rounds that didn’t fire, and there was a good hit on the primers. When I put them back through the EMP 4, they all fired. The Buffalo Bore 124-gr JHP +P+ was then loaded into the magazines, and there were no problems at all. They all fired. By this time, it was pouring down rain again! So, I headed home to inspect the new EMP 4 and give it a good cleaning and lube with Italian Gun Grease, Tactical Oil– my favorite gun lube, period!

Over the course of the next two days, with rain and shine, I put about 500 rounds of various 9mm ammo through the little EMP 4. From Buffalo Bore, I had their 147-gr JHP sub sonic load, as well as their 147-gr FMJ FN sub sonic load, 147-gr Hard Cast FN Outdoorsman load that is rated +P, 124-gr JHP +P, and their 115-gr Barnes TAC XP all copper hollow point that is +P+ on top of the first 124-gr JHP +P+ load I fired the first day. From Black Hills Ammunition, I had their outstanding 115-gr JHP +P, 124-gr JHP +P, 115-gr Barnes TAC XP all-copper hollow point that is rated +P, and their 115-gr FMJ load. Plus, the 100-gr frangible load I fired the first day.

There were zero malfunction of any sort, after those first few frangible loads that failed to fire. Again, this happens sometimes with this type of range ammo, so I wasn’t concerned about the EMP 4 having misfires. However, I did send a note to Dave Williams at Springfield Armory and mentioned this.

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My wife accompanied me on one shooting session. When she emptied the first magazine full of ammo, there was this great big smile on her face. She commented on the crisp trigger pull, which measured exactly at 5 lbs on my trigger pull scale. She loved the trigger pull, and before she could say anything I said “No, you can’t have my gun, and I can’t afford to buy another one for you…” In the past, I’ve lost more than one handgun sample to the wife.

Accuracy testing was conducted over a rolled up sleeping bag over the hood of my pickup truck at 25 yards. Hands down, the little EMP 4 liked the Black Hills 124-gr JHP +P the best. If I did my part, I could get groups down to slightly over two inches, which is outstanding accuracy from a little 9mm handgun. Very hot on the heels in the accuracy department was the Buffalo Bore 147-gr JHP sub sonic load. No loads went over 3½ inches, if I did my part.

The EMP 4 was a real pleasure to shoot, even with the hotter +P+ loads, and keep in mind that no gun maker recommends that you fire +P+ loads through their firearms for liability purposes, for sure! It’s understandable! I wouldn’t feed any 9mm handgun a steady diet of +P+ loads. It just accelerates the wear and tear on a handgun to run this really hot ammo through them. For practice, I use standard velocity loads. For carry, I stoke my 9mm handguns with +P JHP loads. I always run a good bit of +P JHP loads through any carry gun, to make sure the gun will function 100% with those hotter loads.

In the past, the 9mm hasn’t been my first choice for a self-defense handgun. However, there have been major advances in the 9mm ammo field. Even the FBI is now swapping out their .40 S&W GLOCKs for handguns chambered in 9mm, and they are loading their guns with +P ammo, not that regular non-+P JHP, which won’t get the job done. Studies show that today’s crop of good 9mm +P JHP ammo is just as good a stopper as .40 S&W and right on the heels of .45ACP loads. Still, I’m a skeptic! I’m not saying the FBI testing is flawed by any means. I’d feel confident carrying a handgun stoked with good +P JHP ammo for self-defense these days, but I don’t believe that the 9mm is hot on the heels of a .45 ACP stoked with a good JHP load. That’s just me!

Now, with the above stated, I’m very confident in this little EMP 4 and will begin carrying it as my everyday carry gun, stoked with 9mm JHP +P loads. I don’t know if my buddy, John Taffin, will ever find his perfect packin’ pistol, but it’s fun to keep looking. I think, if you like the 1911 platform and want it chambered in 9mm, then it would be extremely hard to pass up the Springfield Armory EMP 4 as an outstanding choice for everyday carry!

Guns of the quality of the Springfield EMP 4 don’t come cheap. Then again, I’ve owned custom 1911s that cost me more than $3,000 that weren’t any better than this EMP 4 and some that weren’t nearly as good as this gun. Full retail on the EMP 4 is $1,179, but it is worth every penny, if you ask me. Of course, it is newly released and they are a bit hard to find right now, but it’s worth the search if you ask me. Now, once again, I have to convince the wife that I “need” to keep this sample. I keep using the same excuse “I only need one more gun…”, and it is as true today as it was years ago, and it will be in the future. “I just ‘need’ one more gun.”

– Senior Product Review Editor, Pat Cascio

Letter Re: Bug Out Boats

Hugh

I have spent many hours thinking about using a vessel as a bugout vehicle and the many pros and cons involved, and it’s a topic I constantly revisit in my mind. What type of boat to use? What kind of weapons and armor? How to provide provisioning and storage? Where to bug out to? I just generally run different scenarios through my head, and there are way too many to address without being long-winded, so I’ll just share some of my background and try to give some opinions and thoughts.

I’ve spent my entire life on the water and have 25 years of experience as a professional mariner and boat captain. I spent five of those years as a Boatswain’s Mate in the USCG, five years in the marine salvage and towing industry, three years in the yachting/charter industry, and another 12 years as a marine mechanic, vessel systems technician, boat handling instructor, and shipyard worker. I have lived aboard both sail and power vessels at different times over the years, and it is in my opinion and it goes against my nature to say it but I feel using a vessel to bug out would be a temporary situation under most circumstances. This thought and the cost of a buying and maintaining a boat helped me decide to move to my current location far away from the ocean, but I do have some lakes and rivers nearby, so a boat could still come in handy some day. In case some of you don’t know it, B.O.A.T. by the way stands for “break out another thousand”. So the wife and I bought a house and some acreage in the hills where I have some dry land to hunker down on for less money than a fixer up cruising yacht.

It’s much easier to hide, defend, and hold your ground or be able to sneak away and fight another day while shoreside. There are way too many variables and mother ocean is too fickle a woman to consider having a boat as a permanent base of operations. One of the major things to think about is what to do when your boat needs repair. This hard fact is one that tends to be a second thought for some. Where will you go if you need to haul out? You can’t expect there to be a operating SHTF boatyard that can fix any structural or mechanical damage you might have or replace a heat exchanger, fix your radar or radio, replace your watermaker diaphragm, or rebuild a generator? Rust never sleeps, and corrosion doesn’t rest, especially in a salt water environment. It’s pretty much like floating your boat around in a giant pool of battery acid 24/7. Do you have the part or parts that you need to get going again readily available to you? Can you be your own sailmaker and rigger to repair the sails and rigging on your sailboat? Do you have the wherewithal and tools to get the job done on your own? These things can be a pain in the rear to achieve under normal circumstances let alone to try and fix during TEOTWAWKI.

Another factor to think about is hull fouling; depending on hull use and the temperature of the water the anti-fouling paint on the vessel’s bottom needs touch-up if not a complete repaint after a few months before a significant amount of marine growth occurs, and this will slow down a vessel considerably even with slight growth. I have seen a motor yacht with twin turbo diesel engines fail to get up on a plane due to cavitation caused by a small amount of barnacles on the props. Sure you can get into the water and scrape the hull with a putty knife by hand, but do you really want to bet your life that you will only be chased by pirates when you have a perfectly clean hull? I wouldn’t, and who says you’ll have the fastest boat out there?

I love powerboats and going fast, but they sure are thirsty. I’m a big fan of the classic lines, interior room, and sea-keeping ability of the “Trawler” style of vessel. They can take a beating, use less fuel, and have an extended range, unlike go-fast boats, but a sailboat makes the most sense for a self-sufficient cruising vessel; however, most ocean cruising sailboats make 10 knots on a very good day going downhill with the wind astern and two people pushing. Speed isn’t an advantage in that case. I could outrun most sailboats in my aluminum skiff with a 15 h.p. outboard motor.

Storm damage to ANY sized vessel in the open ocean isn’t an “if”, it’s a “when”, and I’ve been in some storms at sea that made some of my shipmates find God real fast and do damage to a boat even faster. (Some shipmates even kept that relationship with God alive once ashore.) It doesn’t take that much to passively disable a vessel’s propulsion system either. I’ve seen lobster pot line and monofilament fishing line make million dollar boats dead in the water, and I’ve seen seaweed clog up a sea-strainer so bad the raw water impeller melts and the engine overheats and fails.

All the preps, planning, and money in the world won’t stop you from getting into a “do or die” situation on the water, and if you spend enough time at sea you WILL find yourself in one like it or not. Previously on survivalblog.com the question was posed “how much firepower can a boat withstand without sinking”? The answer is simply this: not much. Most modern hulls aren’t much more than 1/2″ to 1″ thick of solid fiberglass, if it’s well built. While that might slow down or stop a .22 LR round and some pistol cartridges, a 5.56mm round would go clear through one side of the hull and out the other. I’m fairly confident that if a 30-round magazine of green tips were pumped into a hull at the water-line, it would put an average 40-foot vessel on the bottom within an hour (without damage control). I have not tested out this theory by shooting a fiberglass boat, but that does sound really fun however! I have personally witnessed a 30-foot sailboat sink in less than 30 minutes after six of the 3/4″ inch keel bolts sheered off and she took on water through the holes and went down. When I was in the USCG during training we used to unload rounds into 55-gallon steel drums for underway target practice, and we sunk a few empty Cuban rafts back in the day, so I know what a bunch of 5.56mm and 25mm holes can accomplish on something that floats! Some vessels have thicker fiberglass hulls or are constructed of aluminum or steel, but by and large most “pleasure boats” and some commercial vessels would not provide any stopping power at all to most small arms. I know the USCG uses a variety of long guns to disable a vessel’s engine(s) from a Helo or Small Boat by blasting through the decking or hull and into the engine block of a boat, which stops it dead if not sinks the boat outright. Heres a link to some fun video to watch.

I’ll never stop thinking of all the great uses of a vessel as a bug out vehicle, but it is wise to contemplate the hazards. If it were possible I would use a boat to G.O.O.D. at the onset of a SHTF situation before things got too hairy and as a way to avoid the gridlock and rioting masses to get me closer to my bugout location or use a boat well after an event when things calmed down to forage/find a new place to live. This is not meant to discourage anyone from living the dream of living aboard or not getting a boat for bug out use. I had some of the best times of my life living afloat, and it’s a way to live the survival lifestyle amongst the general population and people won’t pass judgment and think you’re one of those “people who wear tin foil hats”. You are hiding in plain sight as a prepper! Most folks just assume you grew up wanting to be Jimmy Buffet and moved afloat. If I still lived in an area where jumping on a vessel and getting out of a highly populated area made more sense than trying to go over the road, I’d take that option for sure. I’m just encouraging folks to think about as many worst case scenarios as you can ahead of time and you’ll hopefully be prepared for some of them. I know I’ve glossed over this topic quite a bit and apologize for any grammatical errors ahead of time, but I have to keep it somewhat short as I’m tapping this out on my Android phone. We’ve no landline interweb in these parts, but the fishing and hunting here is mighty good! God Bless America!

Semper Paratus, – S.B. in Tennessee

Economics and Investing:

Ann Barnhardt on a Personal Update and Negative Interest Rates: Highway to a Cashless, Statist Hell.

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‘New Money’ Powers PayPal’s Super Bowl Push – another step in herding the sheep towards a cashless society. Submitted by RBS.

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

The Velocity of Money (American Thinker) An interesting conversation about the velocity of money and its implications for the economy. I would add that in addition to an unwillingness to spend through the system at the level of the individual consumer or household, there are structural constraints also in play. Excerpt: “…the velocity of money, while obscure, is one of the most incredibly potent measures of economic health and vitality. It provides extraordinary guidance into an economy’s health and well-being….”

The Continuing Demonization of Cash (Mises) Excerpt: “The insidious nature of the war on cash derives not just from the hurdles governments place in the way of those who use cash, but also from the aura of suspicion that has begun to pervade private cash transactions.”

A Hedge Fund Has Laid Out Why It Is Closing — and It’s Enough to Set Alarm Bells Ringing Everywhere (Business Insider) Spoiler Alert: It’s all about liquidity. Excerpt: “The lack of liquidity in the credit market has been a hot topic of late. Funds are increasingly in a position where they can’t sell assets quickly to get that money to return to their investors.”

Government-Run Health Care: Not-So-Great Moments (Government Waste Fraud and Abuse) Excerpt: “Fixing the mess won’t be easy since it would involve addressing several contributing problems….”

More “Dark Pool” Investigations Underway, Says New York’s Top Cop (Bloomberg) Excerpt: “Additional actions are likely against private trading venues run by some of Wall Street’s biggest banks, the nation’s top securities regulator and New York state’s attorney general said today as they announced record settlements with two global banks over their so-called dark pools.” The Wall Street Journal reports that banks used dark pools to quietly cater to high speed traders: “Dark Pool Settlements Bring Tangled Relationships to Light” Note: The Wall Street Journal requires a sign-in and/or subscription to access some content.

Puerto Rico Creditors Asked to Take 45% Haircut on Debt(CNBC) Excerpt: “With a 45 percent poverty rate and exodus of its population to the United States, Puerto Rico is trying to solve an economic crisis before substantial debt payments come due in May and July. The U.S. territory has defaulted on some of its debt and is trying to persuade creditors to take concessions. ”

International News

Digital Tax: HRMC Wants a Direct Link to Everyone’s Bank Accounts (The Telegraph) Excerpt: “They also predict that – whatever it says to the contrary – HMRC’s ultimate intention is to obtain highly detailed data “equivalent to the individual entries on a bank statement”.”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

25 Homemade Cleaners You Can Make with Vinegar (Frugal Living) Another helpful way to save money in your household budget. Excerpt: “Cleaning with vinegar is as cheap as it is effective.”

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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:

Victoria Sharp’s Testimony on the Highway 395 Shoot-In (Video) (Scroll forward to 35:45)

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Stewart Rhodes interviews Oath Keeper SWAT Officer About the LaVoy Finicum Shooting – This is an interesting read on the FBI released video from the perspective of an active SWAT. While I disagree with his assessment of the FBI itself (They don’t call the HRT the ‘Hurt Team’ for nothing), his take on the events surrounding the takedown of the vehicles, the roadblock, and the subsequent shooting of Finicum as well as the arrest of the others is well presented and eye opening.

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Border agent: ‘We might as well abolish our immigration laws altogether’ – An agent expressing his frustration at the current administration’s enforcement of immigration policy. – Submitted by B.B.

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Reader P.M. sent in this link from Yahoo News: U.S. eyes ways to toughen fight against “domestic extremists” (i.e. Christian white males). Let’s not forget that the FBI’s perspective (and the mainstream media’s) has been a distortion of truth and that if you believe in the Constitution, are a conservative, and have Christian values, you are considered as dangerous, if not more dangerous than a Muslim radical.

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For those interested, the Chinese MD380 digital handheld radio has a hack that has been released that allows it to act as a hardware scanner for DMR digital mobile radio. The U.S. has a competing mode (APCO-25) for federal users, but many state/county and local organizations use DMR.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“I retired from public Business from a thorough Conviction that it was not in my Power to do any Good, and very much disgusted with Measures, which appeared to me inconsistent with common Policy and Justice.” – George Mason

Notes for Thursday – February 04, 2016

On this day in 1789, George Washington became the first and only president to be unanimously elected by the Electoral College. This was repeated again on this same day in 1792. Because of the way the early American voting procedure worked, the electors cast two votes with no distinction for president or vice president. Washington was chosen by all of the electors and is considered to have been unanimously elected. Of the others on the ballots, Adams had the most votes and thus became the vice president.

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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 FloJak EarthStraw Code Red 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  4. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  5. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  9. 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.

Making a “Last Run” When the SHTF- Part 4, by GMJ

In Part 3 of this series, we conducted information-gathering trips to see how our community responds to a developing disaster. In Part 4, we will analyze our data and use it to execute a safe and effective last run.

Think Twice, Act Once

Having gathered the data about your immediate area, take time to analyze your findings and decide whether or not a last run will benefit you and your family. Under the best of circumstances, there will be risks; I don’t want to minimize that. However, if you have done your homework, you will have a good idea of where to go, when to be there, what to buy, and what not to worry about not buying. Earlier is always better.

Executing the Last Run

A last run is your family’s final opportunity to stock up and fill all the available space in your home with food, water, and other supplies that you will need for an extended emergency. Use your knowledge wisely.

Ideally, you will begin your last run no later than 24 hours prior to the start of an expected event. Two or three days (or more) is much better, safer, and has a significantly greater probability of the items you need being available. Try to get ahead of the herd. This assumes that you have paid attention to your local news and know that your situation is deteriorating. The closer you are in time to the disaster event, the greater the risk of failure to procure what you need, as well as risking possible physical injury during the shopping and loading phases of the trip. Worse, if the disaster comes on suddenly or if you are well into the disaster event and must shop to replenish your supplies, you will be at even greater risk because of the number of people who are in the same or worse condition.

Be smart. Do not underestimate how dangerous people can be when they are hungry and desperate. Think mobs, riots, political protests, Black Friday insanity. You’ve seen on television how rapidly situations can devolve. Don’t let yourself become trapped.

Be sure that you are driving a dependable vehicle with as close to a full tank of gas as you can manage. Routinely keeping your gas tank at least three-quarters full at all times is a great safety practice.

If you have the option, choose a vehicle that has a trunk, where you can lock your purchases. Even if the car or truck has tinted windows, it’s not much of a leap for criminals to assume that there are things of value inside. Breaking a window and snatching your purchases or your purse takes only seconds.

Take another adult with you, if possible, because there’s more safety in numbers. If you live in a place where open or concealed carry is legal, seriously consider one or both of you being armed.

Unless you absolutely have to, don’t take children with you. There is no sense in putting their lives at risk, and they will further complicate a situation that might already be dicey. Remember, you might be just fine in the store, but the parking lot could be another matter entirely. Be prepared, mentally and physically, or don’t go.

Shop during daylight hours. Even if your shopping center has security lights, they are dependent upon electricity. Expect store security personnel to be overwhelmed or unavailable. Park as close to the door of the store as possible, or if parking near the store is at a premium, park in as open an area as you can so that you can see what is going on around you. Criminals often hide in and around parked cars.

Be sure to have sufficient cash to pay for your supplies. The electricity needed to process credit/debit cards might be on in some stores but not others, or it might suddenly go down while you’re in the line waiting to check out. Some stores may or may not accept checks, so don’t assume you’re oky there. Besides, paying in cash is faster.

When leaving the store, don’t just blindly head for the car. Wait a moment or two in the doorway to survey the parking lot and evaluate your environment. Has it snowed while you were inside and now you have to clean off your windows? Is the parking lot pavement slippery and covered with ice? Are there folks just “kinda hangin’ around” trying to look unobtrusive? Trust your spidey sense; they might be up to no good.

If you don’t think it’s safe, for heaven’s sake, don’t leave the store. Alert the store management of your suspicions and see what they have to say. They might provide you with an escort to your car or at least watch your purchases while you go fetch your vehicle. If you have another adult with you, you have the option of splitting up– one to get the car, the other to stay inside with the purchases, then one to load and the other to be a lookout. The decision to divide forces or not will be up to you. Give these risks some thought in advance, and if in doubt don’t go out.

Some Thoughts on Carrying Cash

Comparatively few people today regularly use cash for their buying transactions. The success of the last run depends heavily on using cash. That carries with it some major risks. If stores have no electricity, they may or may not continue to operate. If they do, they generally put a limit on how much you can spend and require that the items be paid for in cash. If the stores do require cash transactions, that will become known very quickly. Robberies, muggings, and car-jackings already occur in store parking lots and malls all too frequently. Expect those crimes to increase in areas where criminals are absolutely sure that everyone in the store has cash on them.

Be as small a crime target as possible. Don’t wear clothing with high-dollar designer labels or expensive jewelry. Try to be as ordinary and unnoticed as you can. If you can, leave your purse or wallet at home and just carry the basics– ID, driver’s license, and carry permit, if you have one.

Before you leave your car, check to make sure you are not being watched, then spread your money around on your person so that it’s not all in one spot for pickpockets to grab. Know how much you put where, so that you don’t have to fumble for bills at the checkout.

Don’t flash your cash at the register. Have a good idea of what you want to buy and how much it will cost. If there is a sales limit, take only that amount (plus a little more, perhaps) into the store with you. Leave the rest at home or secure it in your car, and be sure to lock the car and take the keys with you.

Be aware. Be prepared. Knowing where certain items are stocked is very useful and can help shorten your time in the store. The next time you shop, before TSHTF, make note of how the store is laid out and where your items are located.

Keep your wits about you every second and keep your mouth shut. No one except your shopping companion needs to hear anything you have to say. This is serious business and not the time to chatter. Your object is to get in, get out, and get home safely. If that means leaving your paid-for purchases behind and running for safety, so be it. Do not hesitate.

A special note: In an emergency a cellphone is a wonderful piece of safety equipment, but using it reduces your ability to maintain situational awareness. Using one openly also makes you vulnerable to robbery and mugging. Take the time to coordinate your plans and answer any questions you or your group might have before you go to the store. Leave the phone for true emergency use. Also consider the possibility that the phone will not work if the electric grid is down.

Divide and Conquer

If you have more than two adults available to do the last run, consider splitting up your list or going to two (or more) locations. In my own family, we have four adults. We also have multiple locations that sell entirely different items. For example, the grocery store and pharmacy are at one end of town, and the Farmers’ Co-op is at the other end. Because of the number and variety of animals that we need to feed, we have found no practical way to stockpile enough food, salt, and other supplies for them for more than a few weeks at a time. Even if we did have the storage space, large amounts of animal feed attract rats and go rancid (or degrade nutritionally) over time. A last run to the Farmers’ Co-op is, to me, crucial, and since I am the livestock manager of our group I would handle this trip myself.

The grocery trips can be handed off to any of the other members of the group. Because we periodically review our supplies, each member is familiar with what we have on hand and what we normally buy. While a prepared list is ideal, I feel comfortable knowing that any one of our family members can go into any store and buy items that make sense. I am also sure that if the situation warrants, each member of my group knows to skip a store that’s too crowded or otherwise dangerous and go to another, change the purchasing plan and shop for entirely different items, or just come home empty-handed or otherwise.

Final Thoughts

I believe that, in most cases, the benefits of a well-planned last run can offset the inherent risks involved if the shopper is wary, focused, and not over-confident. If you are the type that thinks you can outlick, outdraw, and outshoot any cuss that crosses your path, do everyone a favor and stay home. You’re just going to get someone hurt or killed.

I’ve successfully made a last run more than once but never during major lawlessness in my community. War, terrorism, mob violence, gang fighting, or rioting of any kind is not a safe environment for shopping. I won’t risk it, and I don’t want to suggest that you should, either. A loaf of bread and a bottle of aspirin do not warrant losing your life or the lives of your loved ones.

Be smart. Stay safe, and keep prepping.

Letter Re: Bug Out Boats (Inflatables) and Folding Bikes

Dear Editor,

I notice you have been running a lot of comments regarding Bug Out Boats. Overlooked in the discussions is any mention of small inflatables. If a person has a folding bicycle and a small inflatable, they have an option of being able to travel by land or water very quietly. If you do some research, it is very possible to find a small freshwater river or lake that has a small island or inaccessible shore line that can be used as a place to stay in case of widespread civil unrest. If a person went to the area ahead of time and left a cache of food and supplies and did not make themselves too noticeable, they might be able to hide out even in relatively densely populated areas.

I like the ability to be able to carry a boat on a bike. One of my favorite movies has always been The Great Escape. In the movie, the only three people who make their escape is one by bicycle and two by a rowboat. Why not combine the two? There are several lightweight pack rafts on the market and many folding bikes to chose from. I recommend the full size, 26-inch folding bikes for traveling long distances; you can get them used on Craigslist for $200. Lightweight pack rafts are available too but are quite expensive. On the other hand, you can get inexpensive Intex inflatables for under $80 on amazon, and if you add a folding floorboard you will be able to add a sail or attach motor mounts or rowing gear. Rafts paddle poorly. If your island or shore is not nearby in calm winds or water, it will be hard to paddle to your destination. You will need to take advantage of winds and current or improvise a way to row or sail. Bugging out with a folding bike and raft will not be suitable for all people and all locations, but it is a wonderful option to have up your sleeve, and if a suitable location exists in your area it may be a way to bug out inexpensively and discreetly.

If you want to see how easy it is to add a folding wood floorboard to an inexpensive inflatable to increase its usefulness, here is a video on the subject. There are also videos on adding sails to rafts. – R.M.

Economics and Investing:

World Going into Nasty Depression-Hugo Salinas Price – B.B.

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Hard times if you’re a business owner (or an employee) and part of your business relies on the State of Illinois. State of IL is $10B past due paying vendors – P.S.

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

How Free Electricity Helped Dig $9B Hole in Puerto Rico (New York Times) Excerpt: “Now, however, the island’s government is running out of cash, facing a total debt of $72 billion and already defaulting on some bonds — and an effort is underway to limit the free electricity, which is estimated to cost the power authority hundreds of millions of dollars.”

Moody’s: Junk Bond Stress is Spreading Beyond Energy (Market Watch) Excerpt: “A measure of stress in the high-yield, or “junk-bond” sector, hit a six-year high in January, and is starting to spread beyond the energy sector….”

International News

Germany Considers $5,450 Limit (5,000 Euros) on Cash Transactions (New York Times) Please do not misread what I am about to say. Terrorism is a terrible threat, much greater in my view than is understood by most people and many governments. However, it is my view that the press for digital currency is far less related to terrorism than it is to an attempt to manage severe systemic risk to economies around the world. Excerpt: “Germans tend to use cash more than many other Europeans. Opposition Green Party lawmaker Konstantin von Notz tweeted that trying to limit cash payments “is a new fundamental attack on data protection and privacy.”

The Rot in China’s Banking System is Surging: $1.8T in Shadow Loans (Contra Corner) Folks, does this sound at all familiar? Excerpt: “Mid-tier Chinese banks are increasingly using complex instruments to make new loans and restructure existing loans that are then shown as low-risk investments on their balance sheets, masking the scale and risks of their lending to China’s slowing economy.”

Will China Rescue Venezuela? (Forbes) Excerpt: “Venezuela is expected to be the first nation to default on its dollar-denominated debt this year. But not if China can help it.”

Welcome to AUSTERITY Saudi Arabia: Crashing Oil Prices Sends Economy Into Meltdown (Express) Excerpt: “SAUDI Arabia faces financial ruin if it fails to undergo severe austerity measures in the coming years, as the oil price crash continues to rage, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

This Facebook Meme is Actually a Scam that Could Steal Your Info (Clark Howard) I find it strange that so many people play mindless games on social media sites and all too many for hours on end. This one comes with the potential cost of identity theft and financial loss. Don’t fall for this. Excerpt: “Those fun apps and games on Facebook may look innocent enough, but did you know that many of them can take over your Facebook profile and even gain access to your computer and sensitive financial data?”

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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:

How do you tell a satellite from a nuclear device? Expert: North Korea prepping EMP attack on U.S. – W.C.

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Another example of why gun control is already irrelevant… Home-made 3D printed 9mm gun – P.S.

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“They Rape, Kill, Destroy”: Montanans Stage “Security Rally” To “Head Off” Refugee “Invasion”

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If you need a reason to help you understand why the cities are not an ideal place to be in the coming crash, look no further: THE MAP: ‘Sanctuary Cities’ cross the 300 mark with Dallas, Philly – Submitted by B.B.

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The American Spectator has an excellent review of Gun Control in the Third Reich: Disarming the Jews and “Enemies of the State”. We all need a reminder now and then of the importance of the Second Amendment. You know, it’s the one that makes all the other amendments possible. – J.H.

Notes for Wednesday – February 03, 2016

Mayflower Trading Company (one of SurvivalBlog’s contest sponsors) is having a food sale going on through the end of the month. If you’ve delayed prepping, now is the time. They have 2,000 calorie/day 1-year food packages starting at $499.99 as well “just add water” meals and “no prep required” food bars when you’re on the go. If it’s edible, it’s on sale.

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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 FloJak EarthStraw Code Red 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  4. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  5. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  9. 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.