Notes for Thursday – August 20, 2015

20 August 1935 is the birthday of former Congressman Ron Paul. He recently retired from Congress. Dr. Paul is to be commended for fighting the good fight for many years.

August 20th, 1866 is also the day that president Andrew Johnson formally declared the Civil War over.

o o o

Today, we present another entry for Round 60 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $10,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be 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,
  3. 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),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd 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.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. 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,
  9. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, 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. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, 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,
  4. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. 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 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,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  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 60 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

How to Obtain Your Amateur Radio License, by N.M.

This article will provide you with some information on how to study for and obtain your Ham/amateur radio license and what to look for in your first radio.

License Classes

The amateur radio (aka “Ham”) licenses issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are issued in three classes– Technician, General, Amateur Extra (usually just called Extra). Each license class brings increasing privileges of frequencies that can be used. There are three grandfathered licenses classes called Novice, Technician Plus, and Advanced. The Novice license was issued to those who passed the old five word per minute (wpm) Morse code test but not the written test for the Technician. The Technician Plus was issued to Technicians who passed the five wpm Morse test. The Advanced was a class between the General and Extra. There is no longer a Morse code test for any of the license classes.

Testing

Testing for the FCC license is conducted by at least three volunteer examiners, otherwise known as VEs. VEs submit test results through a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator, also otherwise known as VECs. The VEC is an organization that creates and administers tests based on FCC guidelines and submits test results to the FCC. The FCC authorizes the VECs to charge a fee for administering exams, currently up to $15. The fee is per sitting of the exam; in other words, if you pass the Technician you can take the General for the same fee. In fact you could take all three exams for $15 if you pass the preceding one. You have to answer a certain amount of questions correctly to pass each licensing test, which is listed below:

  • The Technician exam is 35 questions; you need to get 26 correct to pass.
  • The General exam is 35 questions; you need to get 26 correct to pass.
  • The Amateur Extra is 50 questions; you need to get 37 correct to pass.

The license is good for 10 years. If you wish to renew, you simply apply to the FCC.

There are a number of VECs. The two most commonly known ones are the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) and W5YI. A full list of VECs is available.

There are usually exams monthly in most areas of the country. Exams can be found at:

Studying for the Exams

There are a number of websites that offer free study material and sample tests. I have included the links to some websites below. Additionally, ARRL and W5YI sell text books as well as audio and video material.

Some study sites include:

I Passed! What Do I Do Next?

You will receive a Certificate of Successful Completions of Examination (CSCE) when you take your test. You may begin using your new Technician privileges as soon as your name and call sign appear in the FCC database. You do not need your license in hand to begin using your Technician privileges. The FCC no longer issues paper licenses, so you can go online and print from their database. Check the FCC database. (or Google “FCC ULS” and follow the prompts to search the Amateur database. If you previously had a Technician or General class and upgraded, you can begin using your new privileges as soon as you pass. The bottom of the Certificate of Successful Completions of Examination indicates the actions you need to take to correctly identify your station until the upgrade appears in the FCC database.

Find a Local Club

A Google search should reveal clubs in your area. You will probably find they have a repeater, or several. You should not have any trouble finding an “Elmer”– an experienced Ham who is willing to give you advice. Your Elmer can help you program radios and may give you advice on what to look for in a radio, including the different radio (repeater) systems that are in your area. A local club might also run classes for licenses.

What Frequencies/Bands Can I Operate On?

Band plans show what frequencies you can operate on depending on your license. These can be found at:

Most newly licensed Hams start out using voice, mostly through repeaters. A repeater is usually located on a mountain or other high place. It receives the “weaker” (five watts for a hand-held) signal from your radio and retransmits it, usually somewhere between 50-100 watts. This means you can talk to someone 50 or more miles away. Some repeaters are linked by radio, microwave, or Internet. You talk on one, and you could be heard on any number of repeaters around your state or multiple states.

Other systems link repeaters across the country or even the world. Therefore, with a Technician license you could be talking on your hand held to someone on the other side of the world. Some of these linked systems allow you, the user, to select which other linked repeaters you want to talk to, such as Echolink[1], IRLP[2], and D-STAR[3]. Others are permanently linked, such as DMR[4].

D-STAR and IRLP are interconnect systems that are connected to an existing repeater. Simple codes let you connect to other repeaters. Echolink is usually connected to a repeater but also has an application you can download to your computer, and after verification that you have a license, allow you to connect to other repeaters through your computer.

DMR is a digital form of communications, usually on the 2 meter or 70cm bands. These radios will also do analog communications for the common 2 meter and 70cm repeaters. Connect Systems[5] sells a very inexpensive DMR radio. Colorado has one of the most extensive DMR repeater systems in the country. DMR radios take some skill to program, however the Rocky Mountain Ham Radio[6] group operates the network in Colorado, which extends to Wyoming and Arizona, and provide complete code plugs (the code for programming the radio) for most DMR radios. Most local groups that operate DMR networks offer assistance with programming.

For a more detailed explanation on radio bands, radio services, such as GMRS and FRS, and other information on communications in an emergency, please refer to the SurvivalBlog article, “Communications For When SHTF” by N.M.

What Repeaters Can I Use?

Before you buy a radio, see what is in your area so that you have an idea of what frequencies (bands) you want to talk on. Most common bands are VHF (2 meters) and UHF (440MHz or 70cm). Typically rural areas will have more 2-meter repeaters as the signal covers further. Urban areas tend to have more 440 repeaters. Other repeaters accessible with a Technician license can be found on 23cm (1.2Ghz or “1270” band), 33cm (900Mhz), 1.2 meters (220Mhz), 6 meters, and/or 10 meters.

A Technician class operator can operate in all of these bands. Some areas also have a form of digital repeaters, such as D-STAR and DMR. Both of these require a specific type of radio, which will be discussed further below. A Google search for ‘amateur repeaters’ will result is several sites that provide lists of repeater systems in your area. There are also apps for smart phones. Some repeater search sites are:

  • ArtSciPub
  • The Repeater Book shows search groups by band, type, (i.e., D-STAR, Echolink, IRLP, DMR, linked, et cetera), wide area coverage, systems (repeater groups), use such as ARES, as well as coverage of major routes, and location by towns and counties.

What Radio Should I Buy?

Note that the radios listed below are not an endorsement of any particular radio. Some are listed because they appear to be a common first purchase or because a current look up of the capabilities (i.e. bands or memory channels) appear to present a useful combination.

If you are looking at a mobile or home installation, consider a multi-band radio. Currently, Yaesu offers a FT-8900R[7], which is 10m/6m/2m/440 for under $400. This radio, with a suitable antenna, will provide voice (phone) operation on (2m/70cm) frequencies a Technician can operate on and give you a taste for HF operations on 10 and 6 meters. If you operate one of these radios with a Technician class license, make sure you have a band plan with you, as a Technician is only allowed to operate on certain frequencies on 10 meters (28300-28500MHz). Of course, if you get one of the radios listed below you can operate Morse code (CW) on several other HF bands as a Technician.

If you are planning on advancing to General and Extra class and you have the budget, there are a few HF radios that also have 2m/440 and could be mounted in a vehicle or operated at home. The only current models appear to be the Yaesu FT-857D[8] and the Icom IC-7100[9]. The IC-7100 replaced the Icom 706MkIIG[10], one of which the author operates. I’m not sure that the IC-7100 face plate could be easily installed in many new model vehicles. If you look around for used radios, I strongly suggest you get help from a local Elmer or club to make sure you don’t get sold a box of parts.

Other considerations include whether you want to use FRS and/or GMRS frequencies. (See the article titled “Communications for When SHTF” for detailed explanation on these other radio systems).

NOTE: You must have a GMRS license from the FCC to use GMRS frequencies. Currently the license is $90 and is valid for five years. In 2010 the FCC filed to dissolve the fee, but this is still pending. Another consideration is how many channels you wish to program into the radio. Also, consider your needs for emergency communications, such as the AMRRON network.

Most new Hams purchase a hand-held radio as their first Ham radio. Many are purchasing the Baofeng radios, commonly the UV5R, F8HP, and UV-82HP models. These radios work on both the 2-meter and 70cm bands and cover the weather band, GMRS, FRS, and MURS frequencies. These radios are very inexpensive but are not as good quality as some of the major brands, such as Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu, and Alinco. The Baofeng radios usually have about 128 memory channels to store frequencies in. The major brands typically have larger memories. The Yaesu VX-6R[11] offers 2m/220/440 and 900 memory channels. The Yaesu FT-60R[12] (2m/440) offers over 1,000 channels. A good website to compare features is: Universal Radio[13]. If you are considering the need to use a DMR network then Connect Systems[14] has some good radios at reasonable prices, however these are single band, either 2 meter or 70cm.

If you are considering the need to use D-STAR, then you will need to purchase an appropriate Icom[15] radio. Connect Systems has reported that they are working on a DMR/analog radio that will also be capable of operating on D-STAR systems.

One band that is very much overlooked is the 1.2 meter (220MHz) band. If you have a “220” repeater in your area, you should consider a radio that has that capability. If you have a group of people and you want to be able to talk where very few people are, this is the place. There are a couple of handheld radios on the market that have 2-meter, 70cm, and 220 capability– Yaesu VX-6R[16], Yaesu VX-8DR[17] and Kenwood TH-F6A[18]. Unfortunately, the Yaesu radios only offer low power on 220; the Kenwood model has a full 5 watts on 220. Currently there are no multi-band mobile radios with the 220 band, and the only 220 mobile radios available are the Alinco DR-235T[19] and the Jetstream JT222M[20]. It should be noted that Alinco has, at least for the past 10 years or more, always offered the 220 mobile.

If you are purchasing a hand-held as your first radio, you should also purchase an extension antenna. The antennas that come with radios (aka “rubber ducks”) are not very efficient. You should also consider the ability to obtain a battery pack that will take AA batteries as these are more plentiful than the ability to recharge a radio in the fields.

You can also buy an antenna for the outside of your vehicle. While a portable radio is usually no more than five watts, putting an antenna on the outside of your vehicle will increase the range. If you do this you will need a short extension cable with a connector on one end to connect to the antenna cable and one to connect to your radio on the other, as most antenna cables are not the same connector that is on hand-held radios. If you simply buy an adaptor, the extra weight puts a strain on the connections inside the radio, and they will break over time.

Another consideration is whether there is software to assist in programming the radio and whether it is included in the costs or an additional fee together with the programing cable. While programming software is helpful, you should also consider how easy the radio is to program from the keypad for field programming. The Icom and Alinco radios are a little easier to program from the keypad. Radios with D-STAR are considerably more difficult to program from the keypad, and DMR radios have to be programmed with software. Again, these are things that an Elmer can help you with.

I Have A Radio; Now What?

Listen, listen, listen! You will want to listen for a while to get a feel for how conversations usually go. Find out when local nets are. An internet search, or your local club’s website, will usually have this information. Some nets are informal, while others pass “traffic” messages that are passed from one Ham to another until someone in the intended area takes it and delivers it to the intended recipient. This is just like the old telegram system. It is practiced so when the commercial systems are down in a disaster area, such as in Katrina, messages can still be passed.

Practice, practice, practice! You need to get on and talk to people. If you are part of a group, you can ask a local repeater owner if you can use their repeater at a certain time for your own net. Remember that everyone can hear; Ham radio is not secure.

Opportunities:

Look for an opportunity to be involved with the national Field Day[21]! This will give you great hands-on experience and a chance to contest! CQ Field Day is a wonderful event to get children and teens excited about amateur radio. Field Day is usually held the last full weekend in June.

Community Service:

Your newly acquired Ham radio skills can also be used to help your community in times of emergency, such as forest fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. You can look for an ARES[22] (Amateur Radio Emergency Services) group in your area. Normally these groups are organized by county.

Other Advice:

It is strongly suggested that you now look at upgrading your license to General so that you can obtain privileges of HF (“shortwave”) and talk longer distances without the need for a repeater. Again, refer to the study material references cited earlier and look for a local club that is offering a class. There are many other areas of Ham radio that you might wish to explore. These include learning Morse code. W5YI sells some excellent CDs to help you learn. There are many other digital forms of communication over Ham radio. This web page[23] has a good summary of many of them. Another great emergency communications over Ham radio applications is Winlink[24]. Many local ARES groups use this to assist their local emergency management and other agencies in an emergency or disaster.

This article was intended as a “primer” to get you started with your Technician license. I hope you have found this useful. Good luck with obtaining your Technician license, and I hope to catch you on the air sometime.

References:

References


[1]Echolink


[2]IRLP


[3]D-STAR


[4]DMR


[5]Connect Systems


[6]Rocky Mountain Ham Radio


[7]Yaesu FT-8900R


[8]Yaesu FT-857D


[9]Icom IC-7100


[10]Icom IC-706MkIIG


[11]Yaesu VX-6R


[12]Yaesu FT-60R


[13]Universal Radio


[14]Connect Systems


[15]Icom D-STAR radios


[16]Yaesu VX-6R


[17]Yaesu VX-8DR


[18]Kenwood TH-F6A


[19]Alinco DR-235T


[20]Jetstream JT222M


[21]Field Day


[22]ARES


[23]Digital Communications


[24]Winlink

Letter Re: Low-Budget TEOTWAWKI Preps – Part 2

Hugh:

While the article discusses three specific breeds of protection type dogs, the author is incorrect in saying that German Shepherd dogs are a danger to families with small children. As a former USAF K9 handler and former law enforcement officer, we’ve now had German Shepherd dogs in our family for the past 35 years with not a single “issue”, bite, or wanton/reckless/attack to our children, grandchildren, their friends, or neighbor children. Well trained dogs do not attack at all, and even a family pet does not attack without provocation. Oh, and yes our insurer (the same one for 38 years-USAA) knows we have two and have had two pure bred German Shepherd dogs; we haven’t had an increase nor a claim from those dogs either. Have our family pets (trained protection dogs as well) stopped potential intruders cold? Absolutely. So, on that point, the author is correct. Inbred dogs are far more likely to have behavioral issues, resulting in attacking their owners; in particular, pit bulls have been horribly inbred, and most of the wanton attacks from pit bulls are not from family pets but from lowlifes who have them since they are unable to legally own or possess firearms. So, yes those dogs are usually abused by those same people, and yes, those are the dogs from my professional experience that “attack” children and seniors in the neighborhoods in which they reside. – M.S.

HJL Responds: German Shepherds are actually listed on the list of the top 10 most dangerous dogs. There is some controversy in how this list is maintained, but the fact remains that German Shepherds do account for a significant number of “accidental” injuries and deaths caused by dogs. We also have had German Shepherd dogs for several decades in our family, and I will state that if you really understand German Shepherds and people this is not difficult to see. The German Shepherd has a higher-than-average intelligence, and like all intelligent dogs they will get into trouble if left to themselves. It is a breed that is bored easily and demands a job to perform. Add to that the natural aggressiveness that they are bred for and you have a recipe for disaster, if you buy one and toss it into your backyard, expecting it to patrol your property. These dogs demand a close working relationship with their handlers and under those conditions, they make wonderful working dogs and family pets. Left to themselves, they will eventually cause issues. This is not a breed that a family who is not willing to have the dog by their side should own. I have personally seen this breed turn on children who taunted it and turn on a master who was attempting to discipline a child whom the dog felt protective of. Conversely, I have never seen a German Shepherd cut loose when it had a close relationship with an adult handler. The exact opposite is true at that point; the dog strives to please the handler.

You can consider owning a German Shepherd in the same class as a firearm. If you buy it and spend no time with it, it will probably hurt you or someone else from misuse. If you take the time to develop familiarity and a relationship, you will have one of the finest companions/helpers there is.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“If you love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.” – Samuel Adams

Notes for Wednesday – August 19, 2015

Safecastle is currently having a sale on Mountain House Foods with savings of 35 to 50% off. They also have Berkeys back in stock now.

o o o

Today, we present another entry for Round 60 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $10,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be 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,
  3. 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),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd 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.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. 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,
  9. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, 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. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, 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,
  4. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. 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 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,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  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 60 ends on September 30th, 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.

Low-Budget TEOTWAWKI Preps – Part 2, By E.J.H.

So let’s go into some improvised methods for each of the prongs listed earlier.

Improvised Methods for Detering Invaders

You should get a loud dog. I have a golden retriever, who, even though he would probably just lick an invader’s boots, sounds like a dog three times his size when he barks, and he sounds very deadly. He is not effective for defense, but he could definitely deter a potential looter. A good dog would be a German Shepard, Pit Bull, or Bullmastiff to deter robbers/raiders even before the world ends. I know I would not like to even risk going near a house with a dog like that. However, you should know, never get such a dog unless it is meticulously trained how to properly behave, especially if you have small children. A mean Mastiff, Rottweiler, or German Shepard could easily kill a child, and if a bad dog starts attacking its owners, it may be too late to stop it before it causes irreparable damage. Dogs such as these are definitely not family dogs, and don’t take well to abuse or annoyance by little kids.

Improvised Methods to Trap Invaders

Some good trap ideas might be something like a tripwire activated to drop small rocks or pans on the unlucky activator’s head, or a hidden, large hole that makes one incapable of escaping. Traps require much creativity and engineering to work, so they can be difficult for the average person. The easiest trap is the classic tiger trap from Swiss Family Robinson. Dig a hole, cover it up with leaves, don’t step in it.

Improvised Methods for An Invader Alert

Depending on where you live, this will be extremely varied. If you live in the woods, you are going to have different alert systems than those who live in the city. I will tell you some generally good items that work well for both the urban and the country prepper. The first is your early warning system. If you have a good perimeter defense dog, such as a Great Pyrenees, you already have this function. Let’s face it, you really need a dog. Living in the city, you can rightly justify having one, unlike swinging logs or giant pitfall traps. Beyond a dog, you need other measures of alerting you of the assailant’s presence, such as tripwire activated bell alarms (remember the pirate alarms?) or camouflaged windchimes hanging on your porch. You could also consider hanging a ton of junk from your porch (after the world ends, of course) so they either hit their heads and make sound on it, drop it, and make sounds with it, trip over it, and hopefully get hurt real bad and then make sounds. I think you get the point. Finally, you should set up something so you know where they are, if they break in. Once again, the little jingle bells you buy at the hobby craft store will work just fine when strung with string or wire across a doorway. To get even more noise, put two cooking pots or other heavy metal object across the opening, raised a bit giving it room to fall to the floor. When they trigger it, crash. It all goes on the floor with an extravagantly loud smash.

Improvised Non-lethal Methods to Defend Against An Invader

This is the final stand. If they made it this far, kudos to them. Now they are going to feel a lot of pain. I should not have to remind you again, but if I do, I will tell you that this is about the non-lethal side of defense.

So your first line of defense is to fortify your home. You can greatly increase your safety by simply getting new doors. Get doors with steel on the outside, or steel core doors. This is also practical in everyday life, as these kinds of doors prevent burglars from kicking it in. Also consider getting kick-in stops for your doors. Another thing you need is some light blockers. These will stop light from escaping your windows so raiders will not target you. You can use pretty much anything for these. A good thing is to use some of the giant black landscaping trash bags, and just duct tape them on your windows at night. You may need multiple bags based on the amount of light coming out. After you are done fortifying, you need to be prepared for the possibility of looters breaching your walls. That is where part two of defense comes in– confrontation. There are a lot of people who just cannot and will not use lethal force to defend themselves, more than you may think. If you are one of them, or you just do not have access to practical items of deadly nature, then less lethal is your only other option apart from total surrender. We know that is not an option. If it was, why prepare in the first place? Now, I think for defense you should have at least one of these things, if not more.

Now remember, there is a whole slew of self defense tools out there, and some that were not even originally invented for it. If you are opposed to using real guns, get a high-powered paintball gun with extra CO2 and ammo. If you nail someone good enough with one of those, they will quit eventually. [Editor’s Note: These last two items are likely to get you killed. A paint ball gun may deter someone who is only interested in an easy mark, but if someone wants what you have and they realize that you are only armed with a paintball gun, you will lose. If you truly cannot bring yourself to utilize lethal means to protect yourself, you are better off pairing up with someone who will use it. In the same line of thinking, if you are going to carry a weapon that looks like a real weapon, it better be a real weapon and you better know how to use it.]

This is just a few different ways to set up defenses, and there are still almost infinite amounts of others. Remember, if someone wants to take you or your family’s lives, you have every right to remove them from the earth. You have every right to shoot them with a paintball gun, too.

Overlooked Uses For Everyday Items

Every day, you throw out stuff, useful stuff like 2-liter pop bottles. “Have an empty 2-liter pop bottle? Don’t throw it out! “I can make a raft with that!” That is the kind of mindset you need to have in order to survive TEOTWAWKI. I am going to give a quick list for uses for just a few overlooked items that may help you survive.

  • Soup cans– Yes, they are good for holding paintbrushes, but their uses go way beyond that.
    • Make coultrops by cutting them up and forming them with pliers.
    • Make a hobo stove.
    • Cook food in them.
    • Soup cans can be pretty useful, especially if you have a handyman around or someone good with fabrication.
  • 2-liter bottles – It’s that annoying thing you told your kid to throw away and stop fighting with it.
    • Store water longer than in milk jugs.
    • Make a raft by attaching a bunch to a frame.
    • Make a greenhouse.
    • Use for target practice.
    • Bottles can be a very useful item, if your family drinks soda.
  • Paper
    • Write messages.
    • Write journals.
    • Start fires with it.
    • Cover wounds by mushing it down and packing it on top, as a last resort.
    • Paper is a valuable asset most people take for granted.

This is just a very short list to get your creative juices flowing, so use your imagination and think up uses for thrown out items that may one day save your life.

Practical items to stock up on

In the end, you will be desperate for things you wasted just a year ago. Stock up on these items, as you will probably need them, or you could barter them off to someone else. Everybody knows they’ll need things like food, ammo, et cetera, but people often don’t really think about things like bug spray and the socks on their feet.

  • Bug Spray. After about two months without it, people will be hurting real bad for the relief from the bugs. Also consider bug bite treatment salve or liquids.
  • Bath Tissue. After everyone runs out, people will try to kill over your last roll of Charmin ultra soft, and it’s value will be incredible.
  • Soap. There’s not all that much to explain, really. Who wants to go a year without soap? Not me.
  • Toothpaste. Most people don’t know how to make their own, and nobody wants their teeth to rot out.
  • Socks. With how many people ruin their socks all the time, people will for sure need extras.
  • Petty Medical Supplies. I’m serious. Band-Aids, Neosporin, hydrogen peroxide, and similar items will be pretty valuable in barter when the world ends.
  • High-SPF Sunscreen. Nobody wants sunburn. This will be a useful item to have on hand.
  • Hand Tools. Little garden trowel, small shovel hoes, and rakes are all useful items that we sometimes don’t give any thought about. However, they could be worth a lot to the right person.
  • Cigarettes. I hate smoking, but not everyone does. When you need a smoke, you will be willing to give a lot to get it.
  • Alcohol. Almost everyone needs a bottle of beer or a glass of wine every now and again. If you buy bulk or brew your own and store it in a root cellar, you can get a fine amount of goods for it.

I hope you can draw some useful knowledge and skills from this paper. I enjoyed writing this very much and send you my best wishes for TEOTWAWKI.

Keep your powder dry, brothers and sisters.

Letters Re: Cold Steel’s SurvivalBlog Voyager Knife

JWR,

Just a note to thank you for the input on the new knife design: WOW!—

I’m pretty cheap on knives but was recently chastised by a client and retired police officer to always conceal carry (we were at a police qualifying range so “thought” I didn’t need to there) and have a large folding knife in my pocket—ALWAYS!

He was very adamant, which woke me up in a good way. So seeing the JWR knife with all the key features that I felt were excellent, I ordered this knife to meet the retired officer’s recommendations; I’m very impressed!! – M.G.

o o o

Dear Hugh,

I received it via UPS today. It is a very impressive knife and certainly is “as advertised!” I am very pleased with this purchase and will purchase another as a gift. Convey to JWR that this piece is AWESOME! – M.R.

Economics and Investing:

World shipping slump deepens as China retreats – G.G.

o o o

Venezuela’s currency is now so worthless that people are using it as napkins – G.P.

o o o

Items from Mr. Econocobas:

Why Gas Prices Are Rising Despite Oil’s Plunge – I for sure have been wondering this. I’m making an assumption that this is true, but who knows.

Abe Aide Says Japan Needs 3.5-Trillion Yen Economic Package

Renting in America Has Never Been This Expensive

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“What the government is good at is collecting taxes, taking away your freedoms and killing people. It’s not good at much else.” – Tom Clancy, American author (1947-2013)

Notes for Tuesday – August 18, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 60 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $10,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be 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,
  3. 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),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd 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.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. 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,
  9. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, 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. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, 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,
  4. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. 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 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,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  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 60 ends on September 30th, 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.