Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Springfield Armory XDm 9mm

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I’ve had a life-long interest in firearms, since I was a little boy back in the 1950s. I grew up watching all the western tv shows, like The Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy, The Cisco Kid, Roy Rogers, and many, many other similar shows. To be sure, it was a fun time to be a kid. Today, kids can’t even point their finger at someone without the police being called. It’s a sad state of affairs, to be sure. So, I take firearms and firearms selection very seriously. Additionally, as an NRA firearms instructor who is certified in several disciplines, I’m always asked by my students, “What is the best firearm…” And, as I have stated before, this is a very subjective question. A Pat answer is, “The one you have with you, when you need it.” However, it goes much deeper than that. It all depends on what your intended use is for owning a firearm.

I have various handguns that I carry. Most are carried as part of my testing process for articles, though some are carried strictly for self defense, and some are carried for hunting purposes. Some are purchased for specific things, like a SHTF scenario. When it comes to this purpose, I am extremely particular as to which firearms are the ones I think I may need. They are the ones that won’t let me down– firearms that I know I can count on to see me through whatever disaster comes to mind. For many years, a GLOCK 19 was my go-to handgun in a SHTF situation, and it was kept well hidden in my home, with spare ammo and several spare (loaded) magazines. I knew the GLOCK 19 would always go “bang” when I pulled the trigger. However, the GLOCK 19 wasn’t the best fit for my hand. The Gen 4 models are better than previous iterations, but still it didn’t fit my hand as well as I liked. However, it was 100% reliable, and I knew it would see me through the bad times.

All of this has changed recently, when I received a Springfield Armory XDm full-sized 9mm for testing. To be sure, this is a full-sized, duty gun. And, “yes” it can be concealed with the proper holster and covering garments, though it still is a lot of gun to hide. A quick run down on the XDm is in order. My sample is the black version, but you can get one with a stainless steel slide. The frame is black polymer. The gun weights in at 29 ounces when empty; that’s still a fairly light-weight gun for its size. The black slide is coated in Melonite, and this is some pretty tough stuff and offers great protection from the elements. If you don’t think that’s enough, then go with the stainless steel slide version. We have three dot, white sights– one dot on the front sight and two white dots on the rear sight, which is a very fast sight picture for self defense use. The hammer forged barrel is 4.5 inches long, and it too is coated with Melonite. A full-length recoil guide system is in place. Height of the gun is 5.75 inches and the overall length is 7.6 inches.

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The XDm can also be had in .40S&W as well as .45ACP, if the 9mm isn’t your first choice. In my case, the 9mm is fine for self defense, stoked with a really good JHP round in +P or +P+. Yeah, I know, standard velocity 9mm JHP works very good, too, but I want a little more velocity and a bit more penetration in a 9mm self-defense round, so +P or +P+ is my choice. We can argue which round is better, 9mm, .40S&W, or .45ACP as a man stopper. I’ll concede that, at least in my own mind, the .45ACP stops ’em faster. However, I selected the 9mm XDm version for magazine capacity. This gun comes with two 19-rd magazines. That’s some serious on-hand ammo with 19+1 rounds in the gun and a spare mag with another 19 rounds loaded with JHP +P or +P+ ammo. That should get the job done. In a SHTF scenario, you never know what you might come up against, and having a lot of ammo in the gun, along with one or two more spare mags is very comforting in my mind.

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I had an early XD pistol in .40S&W, and the only problem I had with it was it didn’t have a very durable coating on the slide. The thing rusted, no matter what I did with it. Today’s XD lineup have a stainless steel slide or Melonite coated slides for superior rust protection. I probably own more Springfield Armory handguns than any other brand, and that’s for good reason; I love their 1911s and their entire XD lineup– XD, XDm, and XDs handguns. The XD handgun came on the scene many years back, but the company that was importing them from Croatia simply didn’t have marketing know-how, and the gun fell flat. Enter Springfield Armory, with their knowledge of marketing and Dave Williams, who runs their Custom Shop, adding his knowledge on improving the XD. Now, we have a real miracle story, and the XD lineup is a hot seller.

The XDm comes with three interchangeable back straps, and one is sure to fit your hand like a glove. My sample came with the medium-size one already on the gun, and I swapped it out for the smaller one; the gun felt all that much better in my hand. Springfield has something they call Mega-lock texturing on the polymer frame, and I will readily admit that it does feel better than the texturing found on the original XD frame. I like it, a lot! The trigger reset, after firing a shot, is much shorter than that found on the XD model, and the trigger pull is much better to my mind. There is that little safety in the middle of the trigger that prevents the gun from firing, unless you have your finger on the trigger and press the trigger fully rearward. There is also a grip safety that insures the gun won’t fire unless you have a good grip on it. It is instinctive; you don’t have to think about it. You just get a good grip on the gun and the grip safety is deactivated.

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The trigger pull on my XDm sample came in at 6-lbs, but it feels much lighter than that, and the actual trigger pull is shorter and much smoother than that found on many polymer framed handguns. One thing I never liked on the GLOCK is their “mushy” feeling trigger pull. The trigger guard is undercut just in front of the ambidextrous magazine release, so you can get a good, high grip on the gun. There are also divots on either side of the frame, where your thumb naturally comes to rest when you grip the pistol properly. Angled cocking serrations are on the sides of the slide, making it easy to get a good grip on the slide when chambering a round or unloading the chamber. The dust cover on the frame has Picatinny-style rails for mounting lights or lasers; that’s a nice touch. The trigger guard is squared and the front of it has the Mega-lock texturing, if you are one of the few to place your index finger of your off-hand in front of the squared trigger guard. The frame has a slide release/slide lock and the take-down lever; there’s nothing else to clutter up the frame. The top of the slide has a loaded chamber indicator right behind the barrel, and it will stick up a bit when there is a round in the chamber.

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I carried the XDm 9mm for two weeks. I didn’t care for the polymer paddle holster that came with the gun, so I used a Blackhawk products, ballistic Nylon hip holster. That Blackhawk holster kept the gun high and tight to my body. (I just don’t like paddle holsters, period.)

We have a lot of features on the XDm 9mm, to be sure. Plus, when the gun arrives, it comes in a hard shell polymer case with the second 19-rd magazine, as well as a holster and a double magazine pouch along with a bore brush and a great instruction manual. Additionally, you get a coupon for discounts on purchasing more spare magazines or holsters. What’s not to like here?

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I had an outstanding selection of 9mm ammo on hand for testing in the XDm 9mm. From Buffalo Bore Ammunition I had the following: their 147-gr FMJ FN and JHP (Gold Dot bullets) standard pressure loads, 124-gr FMJ FN Penetrator load +P+ load, 115 and 95 gr Barnes all-copper hollow point loads, but +P+ and a 124-gr JHP (Gold Dot) +P+ load. Whew! From the nice folks at Black Hills Ammunition I had their 115-gr JHP +P load, 124-gr JHP +P load, 115-gr Barnes all-copper hollow point load +P, and their 115-gr FMJ load, which was another great selection of loads for the XDm 9mm.

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Fully loading the 19-rd mags that come with the XDm 9mm can prove quite the chore, and the mags are very slick inside and out. That’s nice when it comes time for a reload; the mags pop right out, and a full mag inserts smoothly. Getting the last few rounds in the mag are a thumb buster. Use the included magazine loader that comes with the gun. A little trick I learned is to fully load your magazines and let them sit, loaded, for at least two or three weeks; then they are much easier to fully load the next time you use ’em.

In all my testing, I had zero malfunctions from the XDm 9mm, but I did not expect any problems. The gun just perked along during more than 500-rds of shooting. All empty cases where thrown several feet clear of the gun and to my right and slightly to the rear. I didn’t have any problems with the Buffalo Bore +P+ loads, and to be sure many full-sized 9mm handguns just won’t handle +P+ loads reliably, so make sure you test your own particular handgun to make sure it will function 100% of the time with any +P+ loads you want to carry. Also, I wouldn’t feed any 9mm handgun a steady diet of +P+ fodder. Make sure your gun functions 100% of the time with it, and then do most of your practicing with +P or standard velocity loads so you don’t subject your gun to any more wear and tear than necessary.

My accuracy testing was conducted over the hood of my pickup truck, using a rolled-up sleeping bag as a rest, which is my preferred method, instead of using a Ransom Rest. Yeah, I know, I could wring out more accuracy with a more solid rest, but I wouldn’t have a Ransom Rest with me in a gun fight, where I might have a jacket I could use as a rest for long range shooting. All shooting for accuracy was done at 25 yards. The XDm gave me pretty consistent groups right around the three inch mark for five shots, so long as I did my part. I had some groups that were four inches and that came from the 124-gr +P+ Buffalo Bore Penetrator ammo. The best grouping came from the Black Hills 124-gr JHP +P load, which is always a good load and a great self-defense load. The Black Hills 115-gr FMJ load was right on the heels of the 124-gr JHP +P load. Both of these loads just ever so slightly came in under three inches. I think the XDm can do better though. Maybe I just needed more trigger time or a better rest when shooting. Still, a three inch group with ammo it liked is nothing to sneeze at. I’ll take it!

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Checking around, the XDm 9mm can be had in my neck of the woods for $559 brand new, and I saw some used, but 99% as-new ones for $499. For all you get with the gun, that’s a real bargain from Springfield Armory. Yep, there’s no doubt about it; for a SHTF or End Of The World scenario, the XDm 9mm would be my first choice. It offers lots of ammo on tap, is 100% reliable with any kind of ammo you feed it, and is priced right! What’s not to like here? I’m so glad I retired my GLOCK 19. There is a new king in my house for a SHTF scenario.

– Senior Product Review Editor, Pat Cascio

Recipe of the Week: Nacho Taco Meat, by K.M.

My kids LOVE Tacos, and we’ve found a tasty and healthy recipe to extend the family budget while giving them what they want. With a bag of Nacho chips, we’re able to feed a family of five at least 1.5 meals, sometimes two meals (if the boy’s aren’t hungry!)

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground meat (beef works for us, but I imagine you could substitute what’s available)
  • 1 8-oz. can red kidney beans, drained (dried work fine, if you care to cook them)
  • 1 8-oz. can black beans, drained (dried work fine, if you care to cook them)
  • 1 8-oz. can crushed tomatoes (optional)
  • 1 8-oz. can/jar salsa (optional)
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, diced
  • 1 cup shredded butternut squash (or similar, optional)
  • Worcestershire sauce,
  • salt and pepper,
  • basil,
  • garlic powder,
  • cumin,
  • paprika,
  • cayenne powder,
  • chili powder,
  • Tabasco sauce,
  • diced green chili,
  • other seasonings, to taste.

Directions:

  1. Brown onions with a little oil on medium heat until golden.
  2. Add garlic, brown another few minutes.
  3. Add meat, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper; stir occasionally while cooking thoroughly.
  4. Add in the grated squash; it’s a great way to extend the meal, add some nutrition, and the kids will never know it’s there. Grate it using a food processor, or we typically chunk it up then send it through the cheese-grater by hand. Mix well with the meat, and cook another 5 minutes until tender.
  5. Add all canned ingredients (though dried beans must be thoroughly pre-cooked), including liquid from the tomatoes. (You can substitute a cup of Spaghetti sauce or similar, if kids cringe at tomatoes, but an acidic sauce component is important to help break everything down. Add a splash of ketchup, if nothing else.)
  6. Simmer for 10-30 minutes to drive off some of the liquid, or as long as needed, season to taste with all (or any chosen) seasonings to taste. (I like spicy, flavorful food. I dump in the cumin and basil and garlic, and liberally dash w/ the peppers and sauces until my eye’s start to water.)
  7. Simmer with seasoning for 15 minutes on low. Add a pinch of brown sugar to cut some of the spice. (Maple syrup and honey work well, too. Just a dash of sweetener will help cover some of the heat.)

Can be spooned over nacho chips, rolled up in a soft shell, or add a couple cups to a block of cheese in a crock pot for some seriously incredible meaty nachos cheese sauce.

There’s a pre-packaged 1 lb. block of ground beef from our local beef-farmer defrosting in the fridge right now. Guess what my kids are eating tomorrow? LOL!

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

Letter Re: Chattanooga Terrorist Attack

Hugh,

Is this worth exploring further? I could not find any more information on this yesterday, but it is definitely interesting as it relates to the Muslim terrorist attack in Chattanooga. Also today, Trevor Loudon has information that expands on it.

I expect more will come out from this in the days ahead. Also very glad to hear that governors of several states are taking the security of our military recruitment centers in their own hands.

Hugh Responds: This shooting in Chattanooga is truly a tragedy, especially for the families of those four marines who were gunned down. Nothing can be said to ease the pain and suffering they feel. I have no doubt that Islamic extremists are on American soil, and I suspect that we will be hearing much more about this type of attack. It is truly difficult to deal with this type of enemy, and despite Obama’s thinking that all they really need are jobs, we will not see peace until we treat this war the same way that all opponents of it who have survived in years past have treated it. The violent extremist only understands violence. Enough with the political correctness! With that said though, it must be stated that the Governors of these states are embarking down a very dangerous road. When you look at history, you will see a long-standing tradition of arming your military to the max when they are on foreign soil, but when they come home, they are disarmed. People have understood for millennia that an armed military at home can easily interfere in the political process, either by participating in a military coup or by becoming the enforcing agent of an unpopular political regime. I would suggest a web search on the phrase “crossing the Rubicon” to grasp the concept in full.

I am not saying that the military person should be at the mercy of such terrorist acts on their own soil though. While the courts have ruled that the civilian police do not have a duty to protect and defend the general population, I fully believe that the MP should be given wide latitude on military installations because if you are not going to allow the military man to protect himself, you have now taken on that responsibility.

Another question to ask is why, if the alphabet agencies can apprehend the mentally ill person that they have primed and armed to commit such terrorist acts, why do they have such a difficult time apprehending a real terrorist, even when they have had the family under surveillance for years? I’m beginning to think that the shooter is not the only one with blood on his hands in this mess.

Notes for Sunday – July 19, 2015

July 19th is coincidentally the birthday of handgun designers Samuel Colt (born 1814) and Gaston Glock (born 1929).

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Today, we present another entry for Round 59 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ 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 pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. 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,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  12. 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 $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  5. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  6. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

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 59 ends on July 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.

This is Your Brain; This is Your Brain When the SHTF, by SERE Guy in OH

The average American today considers comfort their greatest need. There is no scientific research needed to come to this conclusion. Just look around you and you’ll see people worried about vacations, going out to eat, parties, and the list goes on and on. Before I go any further, realize I have nothing against any of those things; in fact, I enjoy those comforts as much as the next person. The difference between us– me and most likely every person reading this website– and the rest of the world is that we understand that all these niceties are fleeting, and we have chosen to prepare for the worst. In an instant things can change, and having the mental aptitude to adjust to hard times or a TEOTWAWKI event is essential. Although, saying this now when things are easy is one thing; actually putting that into action when the SHTF becomes much more difficult. I do not claim to be a psychologist or someone who completely understands the whole range of human mental capacity, but what I can give testament to is that throughout my life I have been under extreme duress, both physically and mentally, and I hope to apply these circumstances in future events.

I grew up on a small family farm in East Central Ohio with loving, Christian parents who provided for me, and I learned a great deal in those early years. I learned to shoot and hunt. I played outside, got dirty, and was disciplined accordingly when needed. This foundation led to getting accepted into college, where I thought I wanted to join the FBI or be a highway patrolman. Well, things don’t always turn out like we hoped. After graduating college there were no jobs, and the military came a calling. After learning that it would take one to two years for my officer package to be accepted, I chose to go enlisted Air Force instead. This would, in my opinion, get me on a path and open my eyes to the world of prepping. The recruiter handed me a pamphlet with the acronym S.E.R.E Specialist on it. Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape is what it stands for, and I was instantly hooked. I had never even heard of S.E.R.E. before, but for the next year and half I trained, anguished, and was driven to the brink, just for the opportunity to become a SERE Specialist. I could write for hours and hours on my training and every aspect of survival that goes with it. What I really want to impart on you is the mental side of survival and how it can be applied to any and all future life-changing situations. This is one area where most are truly lacking in their preps. What I want to do is look at some of the things to expect physically and mentally when the grid goes down and put you on a different thought process of what to expect when all well-laid plans are up in smoke.

In any survival/SHTF/TEOTWAWKI situation there are five basic conditions that affects survival. (See figure 2-1) At the onset of any situation these conditions can be considered neutral and should be looked at as neither an advantage nor disadvantage. You can choose to succumb to the conditions, or you can use them to your advantage. The five basic conditions are environmental, which includes climate, terrain, and life forms. Second, you have the survivor’s conditions, which are physical, psychological, and material. Thirdly is duration– short-term, moderate-term, and long-term possibilities. Fourth are your socio-political conditions– friendlies, hostiles, and unknowns. Lastly are the induced conditions– nuclear/radioactive fallout, biological agents, and chemical agents. These conditions exist in any survival situation, and they will have the greatest bearing on the survivor’s action or inaction. There are whole books on the five conditions effecting survival, and there are many great sources out there for just these things. What we will be focusing on is how these conditions elicit emotional reactions. These emotional reactions vary greatly, but usually one thing is constant– it’s usually not the event that does a survivor in but their reaction to said event that is deadly. There are many emotional reactions, but the following are most common and will be discussed in detail: apathy, fear, and anger.

These emotional aspects of survival must be understood completely, just like you train to understand your plans and equipment. Maintaining a positive psychological outlook depends on your ability to cope with many factors. Some of these include knowing your physical and emotional limits, exerting a positive influence on your group or family, and managing both physical and emotional reactions to unforeseen circumstances. Everyone has been endowed with biological mechanisms, which aid us in adapting to stress. (Think “fight or flight”.) During our first phase of SERE training, called Familiarization, we were task saturated for 12 straight days 18 hours each day, with little to no sleep and very little food. This is to inoculate you into making clear decisions when you are at your limit. There were plenty of times when I failed the task of building a fire or getting my shelter built to standards because I couldn’t think clearly. It was okay, though, because it was training. In a real life situation failing is not an option, because one failure could mean the difference between life and death. This is where your ability to mentally accomplish the task ahead of you becomes the most important aspect. Having the best laid out plans and stock-piled preps doesn’t mean jack, if at the earliest signs of trouble your head goes to mush. This is where identifying these emotional reactions and correcting the response is vital to future survival.

Apathy is defined as a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern. I like to think of it as something someone feels when they can’t affect their own outcome. This condition usually builds on slowly, but eventually takes over, and the person or persons are left helpless. Physical factors can also contribute to apathy; these may include prolonged exposure to the elements, dehydration, fatigue, and injury. One must also recognize the signs of apathy in other members of the group. This becomes especially important to watch for in other group members that have not prepared for grid down scenarios. During my training there were many instances where you could see apathy taking place among certain individuals. The best cure for this was for other group members to pick that person up and include them in things like decision-making and getting them to open up about what the cause of their stress was. This will be of utmost importance when SHTF, because not one among us will be able to go it alone. Yes, things will be hard, and yes bad things will happen, but to let fear and apathy take hold will surely doom the group.

Where apathy can result over time from worsening conditions of survival, there are other emotional reactions that overcome you instantly; take for example fear. The definition of fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. Not one among us can say we have not felt fear in our life at some point or another. These feelings could be caused by irrational thoughts or an actual event where our lives have been threatened, causing us to be afraid. Part of being a prepper is rooted in at least some fear of the unknown and actively preparing for future events to combat this fear. Take for example my personal fear of failing while going through SERE training. During the year and half of training I had many moments of fearing failure. My fear resulted from not wanting to disappoint my wife and family. Also, I feared the unknown of what my career would look like if I failed out of SERE. I knew my own abilities, but the fear of not living up to my own abilities was detrimental. When the time came to perform though, I was at my best. Did I always do things right? No, but I bounced back from the failures and finished my schooling. That experience has taught me that how a person reacts to fear depends just as much on the person as the actual event. Was my fear of failure somewhat irrational? Maybe, but this didn’t make a difference to me. The point was I used that fear in a positive way to advance the outcome I wanted. It isn’t always the physically strongest who survive but the ones who can demonstrate remarkable coolness in the face of adversity. When fantasy distorts a minor danger into a major one and vice versa, your behavior can become abnormal. There is a general tendency to under and overestimate fears, which leads to reckless behavior one way or another. It becomes necessary to constantly check your emotional behaviors and maintain proper control. The following symptoms can result in those who are afraid: quickening of pulse, dilation of pupils, increased muscular tension, fatigue, perspiration, nausea, and faintness. Along with these physical symptoms, a person may exhibit the follow psychological symptoms: increased hostility, confusion, inability to concentrate, feelings of unreality, panic, and/or stupor. Throughout history people have coped with these symptoms, successfully, by adapting to the fear. In adapting, they have found support in prior training and experiences. You must take action to control fear because you cannot run away from it. Some appropriate actions should be to understand the fear, admit that it exists, and accept fear as a reality. Using prior training, survivors should learn to think, plan, and act logically even when afraid. By using training opportunities, you can increase your capabilities by keeping physically and mentally fit. Know what equipment you have and how to use it, and learn as many new things as possible, because you never know when that knowledge will be needed. Also having a strong support system will lessen the psychological load you have to endure. Another thing that has prepared me for the unknown is trusting in the Lord our God.

Isiah 41:10 says, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” He also says in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

The above verses speak clearly and have helped me in many past endeavors; they should let you know that ultimately God is in control. Although fear can be generated by many things, learning to control it, being prepared, having a support system, and having faith in God will clear your mind in moments of fear.

Another emotional reaction that will be felt in a survival situation is anger. You can also attach hate and resentment to this emotion and create a trifecta of unstable responses. In a survival situation people will become angry when they cannot fulfill the basic necessities of life. When anger is intense and cannot be relieved, the survivor loses control over the situation, which results in impulsive and often times destructive behavior. Anger is a normal response, which can have a purpose when carefully controlled. I know during SERE training there were many times I got angry for being unable to do the simplest task in an appropriate time or breaking a piece of equipment that was needed. These reactions could have led me to make more destructive decisions, if not for having support from teammates and “cooling off” in my own way. I would then learn from being angry to focus my efforts in a more constructive way. Just think, in the future, where you’re angry that a barter deal is going bad or maybe your survival garden is not producing. Are you going to become so angry that blood is spilled or are you going to destroy your garden in a fit of rage, or are you going turn that anger into a more focused thought process and fix the problem? Some individuals become angry quicker than others, and it is important to be able to self-identify these reactions. While anger can come on and subside quickly, it can be the one emotional reaction that causes the most harm. When a survival scenario, whether it be short-term or extended, occurs you should know what sets you off, where your anger limit is, and how to control it. Have stress relievers in place or be able to confide in someone who can calm you down in the heat of the moment. We all get angry sometimes, but being able to control this emotion will allow us to think clearly when ours and our family member’s lives are on the line.

My hope is that after reading this you not only think about the physical needs for future prepping but also the mental grind that is sure to take place. The mind is one of your greatest assets and being able to control the mental ups and downs will go a long way in any future survival situation. You can have all the preps and skills in the world, but how will you react when looters steal everything you have or your survival retreat is not reachable. Are you going to feel sorry for yourself and just give up, or are you mentally tougher than that. The will to survive is a must in any conceivable scenario, and recognizing that you are afraid, starting to feel apathetic or angry is the first step in fighting for your life and others around you. I pray that each and every one of you preps earnestly and keeps a sharp mind for the future.

Letter Re: A Year’s Supply of Food on a Budget, by J.H.

HJL,

I’m writing concerning the article “A Year’s Supply of Food on a Budget, by J.H.” I would just like to share one VERY important fact. People are quick to apologize for the lack of variety of food stuffs stored and defend that with AT LEAST WE WILL BE ALIVE. Maybe and maybe not.

  1. If you are not putting an eye toward nutritional quality you may fall prey to illness.
  2. Food fatigue. It is VERY real and children and elderly fall victim to it quicker then mid-aged adults. Food fatigue is an odd thing for sure, but the bottom line is that if you eat the SAME THING day in and day out you will reach a point where you will actually go hungry rather than eat it. I know it sounds odd, but I can attest to this fact from personal experience.
  3. Fat. Most food programs do not cover the fat need. Fat is going to be the hardest element to supply when it all falls apart. Fat is not a good long-term storage item. (It goes rancid, which is BAD for the body.) You can buy olive oil in plastic or tin and put it in your freezer. I do NOT suggest a freezer for long-term storage because of the likely pit fall of loosing power, but at least the clock will be running VERY SLOW on the oil while it is in the freezer, and then you will be USING it. The other plan is (if you can trust your sensitivity to the situation) that you stock up on fat at the last minute, though that’s not the best plan.

Anyway, this is not meant to be an all-inclusive posting; it’s just to say that quality does count. Variety does count. Fat is king.

– PW in MO

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.” Matthew 23:1-3 (KJV)

Notes for Saturday – July 18, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 59 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ 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 pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. 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,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  12. 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 $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  5. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  6. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

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 59 ends on July 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.

What Happens After the End of TEOTWAWKI?, by Virginia Visionary

Many years ago, my wife and I were aghast at things the government was doing, and we were talking frequently with friends in the same state. Several years ago, we realized we needed to make preparations for survival because this ride is obviously not going to end well. We were pleasantly surprised to find many of the same friends thinking exactly the same way. Today, we have a lot of our preparations in place, including food, water, protection, debt freedom, and so forth. Achieving this now has me thinking ahead, as should we all. What’s going to happen after the end of The End Of The World As We Know It?

What happens not One Second After but perhaps ten years after is important to me, because I don’t want to be surviving just to be a slave in another failed socialist paradise. I want to see the reemergence of American freedom. I want economic producers to be free to build this country back into a beacon of hope and light. I want our Constitution to be a guide to a moral people. I want children to be able to walk to the store without fear of abduction by perverts. I want children to be educated as their parents see fit. I want to see every family able to pay for their own health care, as they see fit, without even a thought of government interference. I want to see whole, healthy, free communities of every race exploring their potential to the maximum.

This vision is not going to happen naturally, without a lot of hard work, especially after the cataclysm of an imploding United States. We need to be thinking about this now. We need to be talking about this with our friends, now. What good is it to prepare for the bad times and be unprepared for the good times to follow?

What we do, specifically, to rebuild freedom will depend in large measure on what happens during the crash. We don’t know any of those details, and I’m not going to play prophet here. However, there are some major issues that need to be recognized as we move forward in time. Here’s one.

You recognize that the Cloward-Piven strategy is bearing fruit and will most definitely succeed, unless some greater disaster visits us first. This strategy has involved overloading our welfare system to the point of failure, requiring a replacement of our current system with a socialist model (according to their theory). Their goal is to presumably eliminate poverty, but you and I know that is a fool’s errand and will only make us all poor.

The implementation of this strategy in the form of the Great Society has resulted in a huge class of unproductive people, supported by fewer and fewer producers. This trend is accelerating with the outsourcing of manufacturing to China and others. We have about 93 million people on the means tested government dole today. That’s almost a third of our population.

Let’s say that there is some kind of crash and our current representative republic is replaced with a socialist nirvana. Well, if a semi-functioning capitalist system cannot support 93 million non-producing people, do you really think a socialist system will?

I don’t know the specific sequence of events that will take place, but it appears that about a hundred million people are either going to have to wake up tomorrow, realize their error, and get a job; otherwise, they are going to have to be eliminated by the government or other causes. I shudder to consider the magnitude of this horror, but already in the 20th century we saw about a hundred million people killed at the hands of socialists and fascists. In this country, we have seen about 53 million innocent babies killed in government sanctioned or funded abortion clinics. The notion that our socialist leaning government could trim our population by a hundred million is not irrational.

Do a quick search for “population control” and you will find that many high level people are actually advocating for a total worldwide population of only a few hundred million. This attitude is accepted in academic circles and at the United Nations, and these people would have no problem with the elimination of 100 million Americans.

I seriously don’t think we are going to see the end of “the end of the world as we know it” with those 100 million people remaining vertical. What of the plantation poor in other countries? This looming holocaust is a great evil, and we must pray to our Lord for a spiritual awakening and miracle to preserve and honor those lives. Will you pray, daily, about this looming disaster?

Regardless of what happens, I encourage you and your family to work to preserve your lives and health during the coming difficulties. Keep your head down and mouth shut, because we are going to need you and your freedom-loving heart to rebuild after this mess.

There are certainly other looming evils and disasters cooking in the hearts of evil men and women. The forgoing is just one. This is all the more reason to pray.

Fast forward to the time when those difficulties are over, and now’s the time to start rebuilding. There is going to be some kind of government in place, probably openly implementing socialism, which of course means confiscating food and firearms, people disappearing in the middle of the night, and so forth. What shall we do?

The first thing to realize is that the Constitution will have long been abandoned (this is probably the case today), and our “rights” will be long gone. We will all be subject to the whim of the State– a highly centralized government.

I’m not laying out any plans here, but I want you thinking about what would work to rebuild a republic based on the Constitution, in the midst of governance chaos. Storming Washington, D.C. will not be the best option, as it will be fortified beyond measure. The best, most achievable option would be to start at the local level, retaking cities and counties en masse. There are over three thousand counties in the U.S. Each of those contains towns and cities. We have the people and need little training or equipment to do this, and the local socialist presence will be minimal. We may even have sheriffs and chiefs of police thinking constitutionally who will stand with us. Taking the majority of counties in a state will consolidate power and allow the taking of state capitols. From there, a Constitutional national government can be composed. There need not be a shot fired.

When there’s a problem in America today, the news media whines for Washington to do something about it. They ignore the local and state levels in their centralized socialist thinking. We think like this, too, in error. We need to stop thinking like this and instead think locally, then regionally (state level), and only then nationally. In this way, we can rebuild our nation. We will be leaving in our wake thousands of strong local governments that have the capability to serve the local population even if the state and national levels are dysfunctional.

There are myriad complications, depending on the particular circumstances. Today there are nations that seek to have us fail. If we are weak from an internal crash, we may actually be invaded. What if our country is taken over by a military junta of our own people? What if we experience governmental atrocities that would make Saddam Hussein blush? I have no way to address all these possibilities. I simply want you to be thinking about rebuilding after the crash. The good part of this is that you have built America, and you can rebuild it. I trust you to do the right thing at the right time, because I admire your hard working spirit, moral character, virtue, honor, and decency.

Visualize this. Visualize an America where judges and legislators are revered as men and women of wisdom, men and women of God. Visualize an America where a person can walk down the street at night and not worry of molestation. Visualize an America where your daughter could be a White House intern and not worry of molestation. Visualize an America where the press actually speaks truth. Visualize an America where corporations are in the business of pleasing customers and not lobbying Congress. Visualize an America where families and communities are strong. Visualize an America where economic slavery to the government is abolished. Visualize an America where there is no racism industry, and all peoples behave with love toward one another. This is only possible with God’s help and hard work; it’s not through the singing of some Beatles tune.

I’ve seen this America, in glimpses though not in whole. This is an American ideal that we must pursue. I’m a pragmatist, but we must have ideals and idealists to set high goals.

However, let me warn you of a deception that I have recently recognized. We grew up in a great America for the most part, but all of my life the government has been running huge deficits and operating seemingly off a gigantic pile of credit cards. We have to be honest and admit that much of America’s visible prosperity has been purchased with borrowed money that was never intended to be paid back. The interstate highway system, the schools, state roads, our agricultural system, the rise in the stock market, our medical system, all infrastructure, most all Florida retirement condos, and even the moon shots were paid for with borrowed money, directly or indirectly. Without borrowed government money and the boost it provided to the economy, I would probably be living in a home half the value of what I have today.

Yes, borrowed government money does boost the economy, kind of like the boost a meth head gets from the drug, but there is eventually a price to pay. Have you seen the before and after meth addict pictures? America is the latter.

I say this to make you aware that the America we grew up in might not be the America we must rebuild. Our America today might simply not be possible without hideous public debt. Perhaps this was not the case before WWII, but it has been since. Still, we can build an America based on hard work, family values, and the love of God.

What should we do now? Here’s a list of suggestions:

  • Concentrate on our relationship with God.
  • Pray for all these millions of people who are pawns and dupes of the socialists.
  • Just like we sometimes have to get someone thinking about prepping, we will have to get preppers to think about the period after the end of TEOTWAWKI. Start chatting about this in your community.
  • Study constitutional government. How are we going to assemble one if we don’t know how it works, or should work? Think and read about the ways in which ours has failed, and look for solutions that could work.
  • If the Fed is creating every dollar at interest and loaning it to Uncle Sam, how will our nation ever be free of debt? There is an alternative. Study debt-free money.
  • Talk to your local and state representatives, but talk with them not about rebuilding freedom; just talk about government and what they do from day to day to get an idea of who is pro-freedom and who is pro-socialism.
  • Talk to your local law enforcement people; get a gauge of how they feel about our rights, our country, and our situation; find ones who are pro-freedom. You don’t have to talk disaster scenarios to do this, as there are plenty of examples in the news every day.
  • Talk to ex-military people, and gauge their interest in constitutional issues.
  • Network to find like-minded people, even if you never discuss what happens after the end of the end. You’ll have a group of people in mind when the time comes to rebuild.
  • This is NOT about forming a militia, sporting camo undershorts, or wearing your testosterone patch to the range. This is about keeping your family and community of freedom lovers alive until we can rebuild America according to the Constitution and biblical principle.

No doubt it’s going to be a mess for some years after the end of the end, but if we start thinking and planning now we will be able to rebuild our country along the lines of its founding or even better. In the mean time, we need to PRAY!

Letter Re: A Years Supply of Food on a Budget

Mr. Hugh,

Regarding “A Years Supply of Food on a Budget”. This is the plan I am using. We buy our buckets and Mylar bags. We fill the buckets with grain, add an oxygen absorber, and seal the bag with an iron and ironing board. Other buckets are filled using dimataceous earth and rice. We have found creative ways to buy our grain. We buy rice from a local rice silo for $18 for a 50-pound bag. Two bags fill three buckets. We have 2,000 pounds in storage. We have done the same with corn and wheat. We watch the local farmers harvest their corn (non-GMO) and wheat. Then we go to the local feed store where they sell it and buy freshly harvested grain in 50-pound bags. We winnow it several times in front of a fan to remove all the trash and any bugs. Then, we package as above. These farmers don’t want to sell to individuals due to the time required. They sell their grain in 40 foot long grain trailers. – MER

HJL Responds: Early in my prepping, I attempted the same sort of concept. However, I lived in an area that did not have any grains grown natively, so all of the feed grains were trucked in. I purchased 50lbs of oats, 100lbs of wheat, and 100lbs of corn. I hadn’t yet learned that you had to ask for oat groats, so I ended up giving the oats to a friend who had horses. I set the wheat and corn in a corner of the dining room with the intent of repackaging them into 5-gallon buckets. I hadn’t had the grains more than two weeks before the entire house had been infested with bugs. It took a couple of days to trace the origins back to the still sealed feed bags. It was a nightmare that I’ll not soon forget. If you know where the product is coming from and how it has been stored, you probably don’t have to worry about that issue. In our case, the grains had probably sat in some holding silo until either the farmer had to sell or the price was right. Even if you are set up to clean grains, you still don’t know how contaminated or infested those grains are and at some point grains designated for human consumption are usually treated and stored better. The oxygen absorbers definitely work though, because even if the grains have insect eggs in them, the lack of oxygen will generally render them inert.

Of course, the bottom line is how hungry or desperate are you. If I’m hungry enough, those insect infested grains would simply have been cleaned and used.