Letter: Preview of Anti-Gun Agendas

Good morning:

By now, it has become clear that the gloves are off and the anti-gun establishment has openly stated that it intends to take guns and gun rights. President Obama’s spokespeople have stated that he is considering executive action when he gets back from vacation in January. This sounds kind of mysterious, but if you want to know what to expect, you need look no farther than what is going on in Virginia just outside the nation’s capital. I awoke this morning to learn that Virginia has moved to phase two of its anti-gun tyranny. In phase one Governor McAuliffe, whose campaign was heavily funded by anti-gun Bloomberg & Associates unilaterally issued an executive order dated October 15, 2015. That order, despite no agency findings or any other lawful process, declared that there was an “emergency” and that guns needed to be excluded from all state offices, agencies and property for all civilians, including concealed handgun permit (CHP) holders. This included every state office, including their state-run alcohol stores, Division of Motor Vehicles, everything everywhere statewide. That “emergency” executive order was then moved to the rule-making process so it could become permanent (found here if anyone wants to see for themselves). More than 2600 comments against have been recorded so far, but that’s actually not very many and those probably won’t make any actual difference. Similarly, it won’t make a difference that there have been zero shootings in Virginia state offices, that CHP holders are more law abiding than some police departments, or that making state offices and property “gun free” target zones is a spectacularly bad idea.

Last night, the Virginia Attorney General (who won in 2013 by 165 votes in a state of some 8.3 million) stated that he had performed an “audit” of other states issuing concealed handgun permits and declared that twenty-five states are too “lax”, therefore he is unilaterally ending reciprocity for those states (article here). This means that citizens there suddenly cannot carry in Virginia and Virginia citizens cannot carry there either. This is all happening, by the way, in a state where the state Constitution states quite clearly in Article I, Section 13: “That a well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a free state, therefore, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed…”

The orchestrated actions above appear to be a test to see what happens when executive orders and attorney general actions are used to bypass the legislative branch and damage or destroy the rights of the people. Unless the actions are more heavily resisted in Virginia and any other states that are trying this authoritarian approach, we should expect this to be tried at the federal level very soon. As always, be prepared. – Kass Andrada

Economics and Investing:

Survey shows US is a nation of red retail and blue retail – Sent in by RBS

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Congress’s $1.15 trillion spending bill: Heads they Win, Tails you Lose

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

U.S. News

The Federal Reserve Will Hand Out $11B in Riskless Profits to Foreign Banks in 2016 (Contra Corner) From the Article: “And since there is no plan in sight for unwinding the Fed’s gargantuan balance sheet and soaking up the trillions in excess reserves parked at both domestic and foreign banks, this handout of risk-free cash will continue indefinitely.”

Third Quarter Growth Trimmed to 2% (Market Watch) No surprise here… More than six years into the “recovery” and U.S. economic growth is well below the norm.

Looking Ahead to 2016: Massive Inventory Overhang a Key Risk for Future Growth (Zero Hedge) The suggestion is that “there is a massive inventory overhang heading into Q4 and 2016, one which will likely impact GDP by at least 1.5%-2% if not more once this long overdue inventory liquidation takes place.”

International News

Top Business Story in 2015: China’s Sharp Economic Slowdown (AP) From the Article: “China’s economy lost some luster and its leaders their aura of invincibility. A commodities boom went bust, spreading pain from Texas oil fields to Indonesian coal mines.”

Chinese Leaders Approve Economic Plan for 2016 (Market Watch) From the Article: “Chinese leaders approved an economic blueprint for next year that emphasizes tackling long-term problems and reflects a realization that debt and investment can no longer power the world’s second-largest economy.”

Japan Flags Inflation Target Fudge as Commodity Rout Deepens (Reuters) From the Article: “Japan’s economics minister is laying the groundwork for the country’s central bank to fudge its own inflation target as the global sell-off in commodities pushes the consumer price goalposts further away.”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

7 Reasons Why You Can’t Get Out of Debt and What To Do About It (The Frugal Farmer) …and the key message is: what to do about it!

Odds ‘n Sods:

ATF Lets Straw-Purchasing Violent Criminal Walk In WV – If ever there was a federal agency that should be disbanded, this has got to be it! Sent in by T.P.

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Showing just how out-of-touch the government powers are with the American people, Guns topping Christmas lists thanks to terrorism concerns, fear over restrictions – Sent in by G.G.

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SurvivalBlog reader J.K. sent in an interesting article on intelligence-sharing in the Syrian war: Military to Military

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Because there are apparently not enough “known unknowns”: Unlimited Muslim immigration: A Congress of fools or traitors? – Sent in by B.B.

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At the risk of starting another caliber war (and simultaneously hoping that it doesn’t do that), A former special-operations doctor explains why he would rather be shot with an AK-47 than an M4. Personally, I’d rather not be shot by either one, but if the pictures hold any credence, the M4 produces some devastating wounds. – Sent in by K.C.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Nullification is the Jeffersonian idea that the states of the American Union must judge the constitutionality of the acts of their agent, the federal government, since no impartial arbiter between them exists. When the federal government exercises a particularly dangerous power not delegated to it, the states must refuse to allow its enforcement within their borders.” – Thomas E. Woods, Jr.

Notes for Tuesday – December 22, 2015

December 22nd is the anniversary of the death of SP4 James T. Davis– the first uniformed American combat casualty of the Vietnam War– in 1961. This ASA soldier (of the 3rd Radio Research Unit) was killed in a Viet Cong ambush on a road outside Saigon.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 62 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, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have 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 pmags 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 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 knifemaker 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. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  8. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  9. 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 62 ends on January 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.

Water Works- Part 4, by JSP

Other Projects, A Future Project, and “War Game” Potential Problems

In this final section addressing survival related water systems, I will outline a few projects we have completed, talk about a future project, and “war game” potential problems that could arise.

Our personal outlook is that, when things crash, people who are previously identified will be coming to our place of retreat, and we also have to be open to the fact that the Holy Spirit may direct people to us who we don’t currently know. Our main residence has a standard septic tank and drain field, two bathrooms, and one shower. With a capacity of only 500 gallons, our main house septic tank system could become overwhelmed in short order when used by a crowd. If you are on a septic tank, do not overlook having it pumped regularly. Depending on the size and use, pumping every four to five years is common advice. I would argue that for people with outlooks like ours, if you can afford it, have it pumped more often. I know of a family who “forgot” to have their septic tank pumped and are not sure but think it may have been eight or ten years since the last time it was pumped. Wouldn’t you know it, the day before this last Thanksgiving, with company in town and a house full of people expected for a “turkey day” feast, both of their bathtubs backed up with raw sewage!

Consequently, the following three projects were designed to a) reduce pressure on the main house septic system, b) allow for more people to access sanitation appliances,such as flush toilets, sinks, and showers, and c) have fun building and problem solving. Prepping is our hobby!

The Outdoor Bathroom

In the summer time, at your local big box hardware store, they sell eight-foot sections of pre-built cedar fencing with some fancy lattice work on the top. Using some of these panels, I created an outdoor bathroom attached to the back (south facing) side of our house. It has a “toilet” stall that is a urinal only (male and female), a shower stall, and a double basin sink. This facility has no roof and is open air, so it’s a three season facility at best. The shower is an EZ Tankless model 101. The “drain” goes into a rudimentary four-inch perforated drainage tile set in gravel that ultimately daylights into a creek bottom 100 yards away. On a nice day, it’s a great place to take a shower with a view that is 100 miles or more.

The Outdoor Kitchen

The main home has a 12’x36′ screened-in back patio. In winter time, the bottom portion is closed in with T-111 type siding, and the top with clear view panels. https://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/prod1;ft_canopies_tents-ft_weathershield_commercial_canopies;pg105670.html Two-thirds of this space (12’x24′) is an outdoor kitchen, which can be used for canning, bulk food handling, and game or livestock that has been harvested. I won’t go into all the details of this facility, but I want to focus on the water aspect of it. Bear in mind that canning and processing butchered things, such as chickens, takes a lot of water.

The two water systems in this space are a sink and a wood cook stove with a Range Boiler. The sink is a commercial, three-basin, deep well, stainless steel model. We built a wood base for it that has storage and is on wheels. Attached to the side of the unit is an EZ Tankless model 202 on demand water heater. Remember that unit is fired on batteries so there is no electricity to these systems. The drain water for this sink goes out the wall and can be captured in a 5-gallon bucket or allowed to spill out on the ground to water the lawn. The point is that even if you run a lot of water through it, you’re not taxing your drain field. Furthermore, you should avoid putting bleach and harsh chemicals down a drain that makes it way into the septic tank, as that will kill the natural bacteria that breaks down solids. So this is an ideal sink to use when bleaching things for sanitation, et cetera.

Near the sink is the Ashland Delux wood stove, and between the stove and sink is the 40-gallon Range Boiler. I plumbed this Range Boiler to function as either a “closed loop” or “open loop system”. Closed loop means it is only supplied with water and only delivers water to the patio sink. Open loop means is works just like the other stove/boiler and delivers hot water to the cold water inlet of the main home water heater.

We live in a location within the Inland Northwest that gets pretty cold in winter and pretty hot in summer. “Back in the day”, when people only cooked with wood and if you just had an indoor wood cook stove, things could get brutally hot inside the house in summer with no air conditioning. So, if money allowed it, you had a second “summer stove” on a screened-in patio near the kitchen. Or some people who couldn’t afford two stoves would move their stove onto the patio for summer and back inside for winter. That is what the Ashland stove is for, summer use.

Even though this space is closed-in for winter, it still freezes. The first winter I had this set up, I shut off the water and frankly did a pretty poor job of draining things, as I thought it wouldn’t freeze that hard. That cost me a brand new EZ Tankless heater and potential injury. We were having a Christmas (not holiday!) get together at our place and wanted to use the patio for a buffet line. So, I fired up the Ashland stove to heat the space, not realizing that the pipes connecting the stove with the Range Boiler had frozen water in them. I had used copper pipe, not the galvanized I spoke of earlier, and in no time enough pressure had built up in the pipes that it caused an explosion, and I mean “explosion” in every sense of the word. It shredded the pipe, and the patio filled completely full of steam.

The lessons learned were to use stronger pipe and, when implementing systems like this in a location that could freeze, everything needs to be fully and completely drained. In addition to opening drain valves in low locations, you need to open valves up higher to let air in to facilitate draining water in the lines.

The Outhouse

We were hosting a wedding last summer and instead of simply renting “port a potties” like anyone else would have, I decided to build an “outhouse”. So, I got to talking and planning about “how” and “where” with a friend, and one thing led to another and the project got pretty big. This is a stand alone “pole building” that is 8’x12′ and has a flush toilet, enclosed shower, and sink.

There is no electricity to this building by choice, so it’s not heated. However, it’s super insulated, so a small kerosene heater can make it toasty quickly, and we light it with battery-operated LED camping type lamps. The water supply system is unique, having learned my lessons about freezing and knowing that much of the winter it would not be heated. For the water source, I plumbed a frost-free hydrant inside the building, and everything is connected to that. The shower is run with another EZ Tankless 202 unit. (There is no hot water to the sink.) Everything has easy to access drains to avoid freezing. When everything is drained and shut down, you can still use the flush toilet, as all you do is open the frost-free hydrant to fill a 2-gallon bucket, pour that water in the toilet, and now you can flush.

This bathroom has its own dedicated 1500-gallon septic tank and drain field, so it shouldn’t need to be pumped in my lifetime. Finally, we plumbed it with some exterior valves that allow the shower and sink “gray water” to be diverted from the septic tank down to an orchard for irrigation.

No, we didn’t expect this project to become so elaborate or expensive; it just took on a life of its own. However, now it is a very useful tool to accommodate guests and reduce the pressure on the house systems.

Shallow Well

One project we have tried and not succeeded at is a shallow well. There are videos online showing how to auger these out and build them. We have all the parts and materials on hand but have tried digging three times in the most logical location for our property. Each time we have hit water at about eight feet (in summer) and hit serious rock at about nine feet.

Surface Water/Pond

What about surface water? We got a bid from an excavator to do the digging to build a good-sized pond. He estimated it would have held about a million gallons, and he wanted $10,000 to do the excavating. He had a good vision for the project and his work was probably worth that much, but when I priced everything out it seemed like it would have run $25,000 to $30,000 for that total project, which was more than we wanted to spend. It would have been nice, but you can’t just drink that water, like you can the water from a well.t

Anticipated Reader Questions

Lastly, I thought I would pose and answer some questions readers might have.

  • What happens if your generator dies? My neighbor (part of the group) has one just like it. Otherwise, we go to the slow pump and rain water collection options.
  • What if you run out of gas? Where we live, everyone has stored fuel on hand. I have a 300-gallon tank, and so does my neighbor. We use ours but never let it get below half full. We get premium unleaded delivered for about $2 per gallon. If you take the fuel consumption of the generator and the GPM output of the well and do the math, for every 100 gallons of fuel we get 138,000 gallons of water.
  • What if your solar systems get fried by an EMP or CME? We have back ups. Four 280 watt panels, an Outback Charge Controller, combiner box, and an Xantrax inverter are all in a Faraday cage.
  • What flaws do you see in your systems? The pump house has no electricity by design, but we need to run some kind of heat to keep it from freezing, possibly a heat lamp grid up and maybe kerosene draft lamp grid down. If that freezes, we would have a problem.
  • What if your main well pump is toast? We do have a 24-volt SHURflo pump on hand (also in Faraday cage) that was purchased for the shallow well; it has a 300-foot lift ability at 2GPM that we could conceivably put down the main well, if it came to that.
  • Are there any drawbacks to heating water with wood? There are only the same drawbacks of heating with wood in that the exhaust smoke could be an OPSEC problem. You are basically telling the watching world that you are alive, safe, and warm at a time you may not want to do so. Therefore, having propane or kerosene options might be wise.

I hope this information has been helpful to the SurvivalBlog community and that it spurs you on to taking your water preps to the next level.

In closing I would like to share one of my favorite quotes:

“You can ignore reality, but you cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.” – Ayn Rand

Seeking Input on Nigeria and on Drafting the Ilemi Constitution

I’m sure that many SurvivalBlog readers have now read my novel Land of Promise, which set up my Counter-Caliphate Chronicles novel series. (Reviews on Amazon.com are greatly appreciated.) The first novel included some details on the founding of the fictional Ilemi Republic, in East Africa. I’m now drafting the second novel in the series, titled Piece of Resistance. Although part of this book will be set in The Ilemi Republic, it primarily describes a war of resistance in Nigeria, in the 2040s. (Fourth Generation warfare against a totalitarian Islamic government.) If any SurvivalBlog readers have recent experience in Nigeria, then I would love to hear from you. Although I have traveled some in Africa, I have never been to Nigeria. So I’d really appreciate having the opportunity to discuss Nigerian culture, politics, economics, religions, foods, climate, and tribal differences with someone who has lived there or who has at least traveled there extensively.

I’m also soliciting input on my draft of the Ilemi Constitution, which I plan to include in Piece of Resistance, as an appendix. In particular, I’m looking for suggestions on how to create some ironclad limitations on the expansion of government. I’m hoping that there are some legal scholars out there who would like to help. More than just a piece of fiction, I am hoping that this draft of the Ilemi Constitution will serve as a model that could be followed, in the establishment of new libertarian nations with minimalist governments.

Please e-mail me, if you are interested. Many thanks! – JWR

Economics and Investing:

We Are Now Entering The “Discovery” Phase Of Financial Collapse – B.B.

The Reason For The Coming Breakout In The Gold & Silver Market

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

U.S. News

Why Capitalists are Repeatedly Fooled by Business Cycles (Mises Institute) Spoiler Alert: “The only way to stop the menace of boom-bust cycles is for the central bank to stop the tampering with financial markets.”

Junk Bonds Finally Capitulate to Lower Oil Price Environment (Visual Capitalist) From the Article: “When low oil prices hit last year, many fringe oil and gas producers believed that it would be possible to wait out the market for better prices. Some of these companies even issued risky junk bonds to raise capital to sustain operations until better times.”

The History of Junk Bond Meltdowns Points to Trouble (Contra Corner) David Stockman asks an interesting question: “…is high-yield debt the canary in the credit mine?”

Junk Bonds Send Ominous Warning to the Market (Barrons) From the Article: “What we see is that junk bonds seem to flash a warning ahead of major incidents in stocks including the crash of 1987, the stealth bear market in 1994, and the end of the bull market in 2000.”

International News

Oil Prices Hit Lowest Since 2004 as Supply Balloons (Reuters via Yahoo News) From the Article: “OPEC, led by Saudi Arabia, will stick with its year-old policy of compensating for lower prices with higher production, and shows no signs of wavering…”

Brazil’s Worrying Change of Finance Ministers (The Economist) From the Article: “That change is likely to make a terrible situation worse. It suggests that Mr Levy lost an argument within the government about whether austerity is the right cure for Brazil’s sickly economy, and that he lost it not because his economic remedy was wrong but because it was politically unpalatable.”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

7 Austerity Measures for Your Personal Budget (Investopedia) Commentary: This article encourages readers to attend to their health and wellness as a way to reduce the financial costs of illness over time – it’s a suggestion we don’t see often among the ideas for reducing household costs, but it’s an excellent reminder!

Odds ‘n Sods:

A reader sent in this link to Thoughts from Frank and Fern: Just Grow Up.

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Human Rights Campaign Calls on Christian Colleges to Repent of Their Christianity. JWR’s Comment: Of America’s 4,084 colleges and universities, just 56 have sought Title IX exemptions. So they say that 0.0137 of institutions have sought independence and that constitutes a “disturbing trend”? What is disturbing to me is that 99.98% of colleges haven’t stood up for Christian morality.

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From the Desk of Mike Williamson, SurvivalBlog Editor At Large: The Fallen of World War II
I notice the Soviet troops are referred to as “Soviets” or “Russians,” not “Communists.” Americans are not referred to as “capitalists,” or “republicans.” Yet German soldiers of the Wehrmacht are referred to as “Nazis,” not “Germans.” The Wehrmacht was officially apolitical, and quite a few officers spoke out before and after against Nazism. I think it’s important to draw a distinction between the troops fighting the war and the political arms of the SA and Gestapo, who orchestrated the exterminations, especially as the Soviets had their own anti-Jewish and other programs ongoing at the same time.

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Anti-Gun Sheriff Negligently Discharges Weapon, Shoots Himself – Sent in by B.B.
HJL’s Comment: One might actually call this “poetic justice” as the comments given by the sheriff indicated that he “knew in his heart” that some should not be carrying.

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Most Asylum Applicants Are Interviewed by Telephone. Feel Safer? – Sent in by J.L.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“On a planet that increasingly resembles one huge Maximum Security prison, the only intelligent choice is to plan a jail break.” – Robert Anton Wilson

Notes for Monday – December 21, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 62 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, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have 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 pmags 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 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 knifemaker 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. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  8. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  9. 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 62 ends on January 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.

CRKT BT-70, by Pat Cascio

I don’t remember where I first heard about custom knife maker Bob Terzuola, but I remember where I was and when it was. My family and I had just moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, in June of 1984. During that summer I managed to get my hands on a brochure from Terzuola, and it was pretty plain. There were no pictures at all, just drawings of his fixed blade knives. However, I was impressed by what I saw and ordered one of his knives, which was my very first custom knife. I fell in love with custom knives after that and had quite a collection of custom knives. All have long since been sold, however.

A bit of history on Bob Terzuola is in order, because his life is more than a bit interesting, to say the least. Born in Brooklyn, NY in 1944, he went to Panama as a Peace Corps volunteer. After this, he was invited to become a Peace Corps trainer in Puerto Rico. He went on to work on several experimental education projects in Guatemala. During this time, Bob taught himself jade carving and became the general manager of a jade jewelry company. In 1980, Terzuola began making knives, and in 1981 he joined the Knifemaker’s Guild, on an endorsement from legendary knife maker Bob Loveless.

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As I recall, the first knives Terzuola made were fixed blade, combat knives that were held in favor by those in the military as well as others, like myself, who appreciated a serious fixed blade, combat knife. Over the years, Bob did some collaborations with other knife makers as well as knife companies, also lending his expertise on designs and manufacturing of knives.

The fixed blade I bought from Terzuola was his Model 30 (if I recall correctly), and it had a blade made out of D2 tool steel, which was something new to my mind, and black Micarta handle scales. The blade also had the Terzuola “dragon” logo embossed on the blade, which is his trademark. One thing about D2 tool steel is that, first of all, it is not one of the super stainless steels; it will rust. Also, if you don’t heat treat it properly and put just the right grind on the blade, it will take a lousy edge and hold it, seemingly forever. Terzuola knows how to do it right.

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Over the years, I most assuredly regretted selling my original Terzuola, fixed blade knife, as I understand they are commanding some big bucks these days, as all his knives do. He is still, at age 70, in demand, and he can’t possibly keep up with demand. Enter Columbia River Knife & Tool and their collaboration with Terzuola on this BT-70 model. BT stands for Bob Terzuola and the 70 for his 70th birthday. Cool!

To be sure, many consider Terzuola to be one of the founding fathers of tactical blades, if not the founding father of these types of combat blades. Bob makes his home in Albuquerque, NM and has been there since 1981. I was a police officer, for a time, in a little town called Questa, NM, and I wish I had taken the time to go and visit with Terzuola and picked his brain on knives and life in general. Hindsight is wonderful, isn’t it?

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The CRKT BT-70 is worthy of celebrating Terzuola’s 70th birthday, and it’s a design that will stand the test of time. So, let’s take a closer look at the CRKT BT-70 and see what Bob has brought to us. The blade is 4.03 inches long and made out of AUS 8 stainless steel, which is one of my favorites stainless steels because it makes a knife more affordable, holds an edge a good long time, and is easy to re-sharpen, too. The blade is Rockwell’d at 57-59, and this is important; without the right heat treatment, a blade can be too brittle, too soft, or it won’t hold an edge. The overall length of this folder is 9.1 inches open and closed it is 5.15 inches. The knife weighs a hefty 7.6 ounces. The blade is stonewashed for a nice subdued look. The blade is a modified Tanto design with a dual grind, which is hard to do under any circumstances. The pics will show the dual grind on the blade; it is “stepped,” for lack of a better description. You can have the blade any way you want it, so long as it is a plain blade, no serrations. The handle material is dark brown/blade G10, which is some of the best material for serious use knives. The blade is a liner lock design and has a thumb disc on it for easy opening.

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The pocket clip is worth noting in that it isn’t screwed onto the front of the handle scales and it is a one position clip; you can’t move it to the opposite of the handle. The clip is attached from under the G10 scales. No screws are visible on the clip at all, and I’m telling you that this clip isn’t moving on you like some pocket clips can do. (Those others loosen-up over time.) The clip is positioned “just right”, so the knife doesn’t ride too high or too low in the pocket; this is also a great touch. Some folding knives stick out of your pocket like a sore thumb, some ride so low in the pocket, they are hard to get out. The clip is also slim, not too wide and not too narrow. A lot of thought went into the design.

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On the left side of the G10 handle is the Terzuola “dragon” logo, which really is a cool-looking design. The hand scales, liner, and locking liner are dished out in order to reach the thumb disc for easy opening. I had some problems, when I first got the knife, getting my thumb right on the disc in order to open the blade. It’s not a design fault, just a learning curve for my thumb muscle memory. In the end, I took my Dremel tool and lowered the dished out area on the liner a tiny bit, so my thumb could more easily find the disc.

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You will also note there is a blood groove on the blade; that’s a nice touch. The blade is .015-inches thick, bit it sure looks thicker than that. It is a hefty looking blade. The liner and liner lock are also a bit thicker than many knives in the CRKT line-up. We are talking one brute of a folder, and I think it is the new flagship in the CRKT tactical folding knife line-up, in my humble opinion. The spacer for the two halves of the knife is located in the rear of the handle scales, and it is about half the length of the handle scales. There is no butt wag in this knife at all.

My BT-70 sample came a bit tight, so I used a little bit of knife lube on the pivot point, rather than loosening the pivot screw, and I worked the lube into the pivot area by repeatedly moving the knife blade back and forth for a few minutes. Now the knife opens and closes super smoothly, without much effort at all, It may be one of the smoothest opening and closing CRKT folders I’ve run across. There is also a raised porting on the back top of the blade, with friction grooves for a sure thumb placement when using the fencing grip. Nice touch.

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Part of the weight of the BT-70 comes from the thick G10 handle scales. They are really thick, giving the hand a good grip on it, and with the added thickness of the liner and the heavy blade, we have one super tough folder that will give your years of service. Remember, CRKT provides a limited lifetime warranty on their products.

I’ve been carrying the BT-70 for more than a month now in my right front pocket and using it for all manner of chores around the homestead as well as doing my usual testing– cutting poly rope, slicing paper and cardboard, and, of course, slicing blackberry vines. You have to have a really sharp knife to cleanly slice a blackberry vine in one swift move; they are tough, to say the least. The BT-70 sailed through all my testing, and I only just touched up the edge of the blade the other day. It took all of a minute to do. As I mentioned at the start of this piece, I like AUS 8 stainless steel blades because they hold an edge and are easy to re-sharpen, when the time comes. I normally carry and test a folding knife for two weeks, which is a fair test. However, the BT-70 is still riding in my pocket and doing all I ask of it– lots of cutting!

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If you check around, you will see what some of the original, handmade Terzuola knives are selling for, and there really aren’t many to be found to start with. Bob, doesn’t lend his name and his design to just anything. He seeks out the best and makes sure that the knives are made to his specifications. The BT-70 is manufactured in Taiwan, in one of the plants that is owned by CRKT, and every couple of weeks someone from CRKT is there, checking on things to make sure knives are being made to their specifications.

This is your chance to lay claim to a Bob Terzuola collaboration, one from CRKT, and to be sure these knives won’t be around forever. This particular knife was announced in January 2015 in the new CRKT catalog, and it just now came out for us all to buy. Don’t wait! If you want a super tough folder, one that won’t let you down, and designed by one of the best tactical knife makers in the world, then jump on this one. It would make a great everyday carry folder and one that you can bet your life on, if the time comes to use it to defend yourself. Full retail on the BT-70 is $150; however, you can usually find CRKT products discounted at many locations. Get one, before they are gone, forever!

Recipe of the Week: Swiss Beef Birds

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs round steak, 1/2 inch thick
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 1 large dill pickle
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/8 tsp garlic salt
  • 2 Tbsp salad oil
  • 1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp minced parsley

Directions:

  1. With meat mallet, pound steak until 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 5 or 6 serving pieces.
  2. Cut each carrot into thin sticks and the pickle into 5 or 6 strips.
  3. Place several carrot sticks and one pickle stick on each piece of meat.
  4. Beginning at narrow end, roll up, securing with small skewers or toothpicks.
  5. Mix flour with salt, pepper, and garlic salt; coat rolls, reserving remaining mixture.
  6. In a large skillet or slow-cooking pot with browning unit, brown meat rolls in hot oil.
  7. Pour off excess fat.
  8. Place browned meat in slow-cooking pot.
  9. Mix tomato sauce with reserved flour; stir in onion and pour over meat.
  10. Cover and simmer on low for 7 to 9 hours, or until tender.
  11. Sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 5 or 6 servings.

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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!

Two Letters Re: Water Works, by JSP

Hugh,

Reference “Water Works, by JSP”. Back in 1960’s Dad buried a 250-gallon steel fuel oil tank. The oil tank was buried in heavy clay soil. In the 1980’s Dad retired and since he no longer needed the fuel tank, he left the tank empty. After an unusual heavy rain fall, the oil tank had floated out of the ground about one foot. Since the author is burying plastic tanks, I feel it is very important to strap the tanks to a concrete base, if he wants to keep them buried. – R.L.

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HJL,

In reference to JSP’s article on hot water heating in SHTF situations, I have a recommendation for a whole house hot water heater that has worked well for both myself and another off gridder that I recommended it to. We both have BOL’s that are over two hours from the nearest town and, needless to say, we do not have public power. I personally have a solar/generator/battery bank system, and it powers all my needs. We pump water from a stream to a cistern and then pressure pump it into a pressurized tank. We use an on demand Bosch Therm 330PN-LP (Liquid Propane) Tankless Water heater. It requires no electric power or batteries. We keep track of our propane consumption and with a gas stove, gas refrigerator, and the gas water heater, we use a one hundred pound LP cylinder about every 30-40 days under regular use (not trying to conserve power) for two people. We have found this tankless on demand water heater to be very efficient and we have used it now for three years. The price is reasonable as compared to the one recommended in the article (Navien), about $400. They also make a larger model for about $700 for larger families or more demand. I like the Bosch because it does not require electricity and because you can store tanks of LP gas indefinitely for a SHTF scenario. Hope this helps some of your readers looking for a reliable, efficient, and affordable method to heat water for your BOL or off grid home. – Mike Y.