Dredgers plan peaceful protest on Idaho river. – D.H.
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Head of Spokane NAACP quits amid furor over racial identity
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Wyoming: Skier rescued after 400-foot fall near Beartooth Pass
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Industry: Wyoming coal exports wouldn’t affect global demand
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Wranglerstar (one of our favorite bloggers) just posted a noteworthy 10% off discount code for Whitlox Coal/Wood-Fired Compact Forges.
Further explanation of these forges can be found here.
Saudi Arabia Opens $585B Stock Market to Foreign Investors. – K.B.
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Treasury Reveals What JPMorgan Was Really Doing With London Whale Trades. – P.K.
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90 Days: Treasury Says Debt Has Been Frozen at $18,112,975,000,000. – B.B.
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Taxpayers Billed $128,781 for Michelle Obama to See Cultural Sites in Venice. – B.B.
Colt Defense Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection
JWR’s Comment: When you take this news in the context of the recent post-scare dip in gun prices, we are clearly in a “Buyer’s Market.” Now is a good time to stockpile some stripped AR-15 lower receivers, especially if you can purchase any from private parties at gun shows, sans papiere. It might also be worthwhile to buy a Colt-made M4 as an investment piece, if you can find one of the Law Enforcement-marked Colts (such as the LE6920 / LE6921 / LE6940) that has BOTH takedown pins. (Rather than the “Sporter” monstrosities that have screws in place of the proper front pivot pins.)
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The tenth book in the Holding Their Own series published by Prepper Press has been released. The Toymaker continues the story of post-apocalyptic Texas with a fast paced adventure.
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Stephen Hunter: The case of Tamir Rice. – P.W.
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Your car is a cyber security risk, Kaspersky warns. – B.B.
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ID card for every child in Scotland. – H.L.
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Swimming in a Pond Is Now a Trendy “Thing”
GOOD GRIEF!!! The so-called developed world seems to be made up of way too many namby pamby people who are sheltered from reality and FUN! No wonder a prolonged grid down scenario will result in probably 95% of the population gone within a few weeks! They do NOT know how to fend for themselves and live off the land; they have no really USEFUL skills! I can remember swimming in almost any pond, and even a stream after a torrential downpour! We were sharing the water with turtles and snakes as well as minnows and whatever! – H.L.
“I have thought that a man of tolerable abilities may work great changes if he first forms a good plan and makes the execution of that same plan his whole study and business.” – Benjamin Franklin
Following a revolt by the English nobility against his rule, King John put his royal seal on the Magna Carta, or “Great Charter” on this day in 1215AD. This document, essentially a peace treaty between John and his barons, guaranteed that the king would respect feudal rights and privileges, uphold the freedom of the church, and maintain the nation’s laws. Although it was more a reactionary than a progressive document, the Magna Carta was seen as a cornerstone in the development of democratic England by later generations.
Regulation Tactical is a California-based company that sells U.S.-made tactical gear. It was founded by a Marine who, “after three combat tours, got tired of the problems his issue gear created and wanted to create solutions for them.” I have not used Marine issued gear nor done combat tours, but I think Regulation has definitely created some interesting and useful solutions to some of the difficulties caused by carrying handguns and magazines and wearing hard body armor.
The first item in the review is the $29.99 Glide Instructor Belt, which solves the problem of removing and then replacing an outside the waist band (OWB) holster, which is a pain with a normal belt. It is a clever multiple layered device with lots of Velcro, and it reminds me of the inner/outer systems used with many competition and police duty belts. The idea is that you have an inner belt with Velcro that goes through your pants’ belt loops and thenan outer belt with more Velcro on which you have all of your gear. When you are ready for business, you just apply the outer belt to the inner one and off you go to shoot targets or deal with bad guys. Back in my days of shooting action pistol matches that didn’t require concealment, I used this sort of rig and found it surprisingly secure.
The Glide Instructor belt dispenses with having to wear two belts and has what I believe is a unique system of three layers that overlap where the two ends of the belt connect. There is an inner layer on the shooter’s dominant side that connects to the tongue from the dominant side with Velcro. The outer layer on the shooter’s dominant side then attaches to the inner layers with Velcro and goes over the belt loops. Having the outer layer go over the belt loops is the key to the neat trick this belt performs for folks who use outside the waistband holsters. You can quickly, easily, and safely put on and remove your handgun in one quick operation by peeling up the outer layer and slipping it through the holster’s belt loops. You do get the ripping Velcro sound, of course, but you don’t have to undo your belt and unthread it to get the holster and gun off and then rethread it to hold your pants up.
Additionally, remember that there are three layers of Glide Belt. Two of them are still holding your pants up while you are putting on or taking off your weapon. We often have other gear secured to our belts– spare magazines, multi-tools, and the like; all of that weight will pull your pants down. You need three hands during this operation if using a regular belt; you’d need two to thread things and a third to hold it all up.
For anyone who has to come and go from non-permissive locations, this is a real blessing. I often find myself going through this ordeal of restricted freedom and one of the worst parts of the problem (besides being disarmed) is the additional handling of the weapon, often in places where is it awkward, such as a car. In many cases, one will unholster the weapon in the process, which is less safe than leaving it holstered. A holstered handgun, assuming it’s in a well-designed holster and weapon, is very safe. It is far less safe to have to be moving the pistol around in your hand, particularly in the close confines of a vehicle. With the Glide Belt, you simply pull up the outer layer, slide the holster with handgun off, secure it safely, and reattach the outer belt layer.
There is also the benefit of having removed the holster rather than leaving it on your belt as I have often done to avoid the struggle with removing the holster. Should you have to go through a security point, you won’t have to explain why you have a holster and where your weapon is. Trust me, even empty holsters can raise hackles on an anti-freedom security person.
I usually wear an inside the waist band (IWB) holster and choose models with snap on belt loops so I can remove the whole rig in one operation. The issue of getting the thing off is one of the reasons. While I think the IWB conceals better, it is less comfortable. However, since I have been wearing this belt, I have been finding myself using some of the fine OWB holsters I own a lot more often and enjoying the extra comfort they provide.
My one glitch is that I am on the absolute maximum edge of one of the sizes, and if I were to gain more weight (my wife cooks too well and I’m spending too much time writing instead of exercising) I will have problems. If you are at the very top boundary of a size, it might be smarter to grudgingly take the larger one.
The belts can be had in black, ranger green, coyote brown, or MultiCam. I chose Ranger Green for the one I purchased to match my Scout uniform and the olive drab cargo pants and shorts I frequent.
The workmanship is very nice with excellent stitching, and the materials appear durable and of high quality. The Velcro is the military grade hook and loop, and it works well; the layers adhere strongly to one another. They make so much noise when you peel them off that I learned not to remove it in the bedroom after my suffering wife has gone to sleep. You can reduce the noise level by going slow, but that takes patience.
I will admit to finding the instructional video on using the belt to be helpful. I’m left-handed, and I initially got a bit perplexed on how to use it, but after a little head scratching, it became quite clear. I normally thread belts into the left side of my pants, but with this one, the video showed it going in the other way. It suddenly dawned on me that the video was for the majority of people who are right-handers, and when I use it I could keep on threading it the same way as my regular belts. Duh.
I wondered about how securely it would hold up the pistol, but I had zero problems with a steel Colt Commander, which at 43 ounces loaded with a seven round magazine is significantly heavier than a Glock 17 at 32 ounces, which is a pistol probably more commonly carried these days than my Colt.
I found this to be a very ingenious design and quite useful for those who must disrobe from their sidearm. It works well, and the price, when compared to similar sorts of belts, is extremely reasonable. It is now my go-to belt for OWB holsters. In black, it might be inconspicuous enough to wear with dressier clothes, if the belt loops are wide enough.
The $4 Glide Panel is used with the Glide Belt when one has gear with 1.75-inch loops. The Glide Belt is 1.5 inches wide so that it will work with most jeans and trousers. We often wind up with holsters made with 1.75 inch belt loops and this leads to slop that can delay the draw stroke or cause discomfort, as the weapon has more room to slip about. The Glide Panel is simply a somewhat rigid 9-inch long strip that is still flexible enough to wrap around the body and widens the belt to 1.75 inches. It has Velcro on both sides. You stick it to the outer layer, the holster goes on, and then it is all pressed down on the inner layer. It works well and helps make for a more solid carry, as the handgun is always where it should be and not flopping around. I am usually careful to size my belts and holsters to match, but this crafty bit of gear allows you to get by with one less belt if you have holsters in both 1.5- and 1.75-inch sizes, as I do.
Regulation Tactical loaned me two of their $35 ammo pouches. These are clever and highly versatile items that, like the Glide Belt, make use of a lot of Velcro.
The pouch can be configured in several ways; I hope I don’t miss any. First, you have a choice to use a shock cord retainer, if you want extra security in retaining your magazines or put it aside if you want faster access to a reload. You can configure the pouch to hold one or two magazines. Finally, you can remove or leave the spring, which retains the magazines.
The spring was the interesting part to me. Its purpose is to provide secure magazine retention, even if you configure the pouch to hold two magazine and you have withdrawn one. This is no easy trick. Conventional pouches simply can’t retain a magazine after the first one is used, and on those you need to have a flap or strap secured with a hook, loop, or snap. If you don’t secure the pouch, the magazine can be lost, whch is not good. On the other hand, a flap or strap slows down access to a reload, which is also not good.
The spring includedby Regulation Tactical’s pouch pushes the magazines forward and has enough tension to hold in a single magazine after the first is removed. It also creates some space behind the magazines to make it easier to extract one than you can from a pouch that pulls them tight against the body.
Another extremely well thought out function is that the spring pushes the outer magazine against the sloped bottom of the pouch, which means it rides about ¾ of an inch higher than the inner magazine allowing you to grasp it more easily.
The only drawbacks of this system are that it makes the pouch about ½-inch thicker than a standard two-magazine pouch and it can take more effort to extract or insert a magazine. The spring will compress if you lie on it when prone, but it will always be a bit thicker than a conventional pouch as the spring can only collapse so far and there is a need for more layers of material to accommodate all of the adjustments available with the design. There is no way around the effort if you wish to retain magazines without a cover.
You can remove the spring and create a lower profile magazine carrier for one or two magazines as well as reducing the effort to draw a magazine, but bear in mind you will have to use the shock cord strap to retain the second magazine once the first is removed, which means it is in the way. If you set it up for just one magazine, however, you can make it tight enough to hold the single magazine without the shock cord retainer.
I thought it worked brilliantly using the spring with GI- or H&K-style AR metal magazines with indented ribs. Some polymer magazines have protruding ribs and baseplates, and they took a bit of futzing to get the tension right, but it could be done. The only ones I decided were a bad bet were Thermolds, which were very difficult to get working as they have very prominent ribs that catch as you pull out the first magazine and can pull the second one out with it. TangoDown magazines were a snap and just as easy as the metal ones. Lancers were a bit more trouble than the TangoDowns, while Magpuls were a little harder to fit than the Lancers. The Gen 3 Magpuls were easier than Gen 2’s as the baseplates on the Gen 3 aren’t as wide.
One thing that made it harder, especially with the polymer magazines, was if the Magpul rubber loops that many of us like to use had been installed on the magazines. These make the magazine quite a bit wider at the base as well as creating some additional friction when you extract a magazine. You can get it to work, but it will take more effort to set the pouch up. The problem is that proper function depends on getting the width of the pouch right, and when the magazine is wider at one end, it forces you to make it a bit looser than optimum for retention. If you get it tight enough to surely retain the last magazine with the pulls installed, you wind up with needing more effort than I like to remove or insert the second magazine. I had the least trouble using the pulls on metal and TangoDown magazines and the most with the Magpul Gen 2 magazines. I would advise replacing pull loops with the Magpul Ranger Plates for use with this pouch.
It is important to seat the magazines properly, which isn’t hard to do. You want to be sure that the front magazine rides higher so that it is easy to grasp and extract. All you have to do is be sure to fully seat the rear magazine.
The pouch has the ubiquitous MOLLE/PALS straps to attach it to some sort of carrier, and they also link to some belt adapters on their site if you want to use it on a conventional belt.
This is one of the best efforts I’ve seen to create a two-magazine pouch that doesn’t require a flap or strap to retain the second magazine after the first is withdrawn. It also offers some additional options for lower profile carry so it is quite versatile and worth a good look if you need pouches. I’m thinking about replacing some of my pouches with them. The pricing is quite good too. As with the belt, they are available in black, coyote brown, MultiCam, and ranger green.
These gizmos are intended to help the user better distribute the weight of a plate carrier with armor, and they appear to do the trick. I only spent a couple of hours using them, but I felt they performed as intended.
The basic idea is to shift some of the weight from the user’s shoulders and back to their waist by connecting the plate carrier to a belt. One might note that this strategy is widely used with backpacks, and it is very effective at reducing fatigue and stress on the neck, shoulders, and back. As one who spent many years carrying heavy camera equipment, I welcome any chance to move the weight from my shoulders to someplace else.
The LBBs provide brackets that attach to the plate carrier and to a belt. The belt, in my case, was a second one that rode higher than my normal belt. This worked with my anatomy and was welcome as it allowed me to add a belt at the lower level for a holster and other gear. Your anatomy might be different, and you might wind up attaching it to your normal belt. In that case, you would lose a bit of flexibility as the LBBs occupy some space. If you can make it work with a separate belt, you have more options on how to use your gear. In my case, it means I can use my belt with or without the plate carrier without having to remove it from the carrier. In any case, the belt needs to be stiff and supportive, like a police duty belt. A flexible web belt isn’t going to work well.
The attachments to the carrier are via MOLLE/PALS straps, while the attachment to the belt is a wraparound strap that secures with Velcro. I watched the video to be sure I got it right, though the instructions printed on a nice bandana were reasonably clear. I could have done it without the video but might have done it twice rather than once.
A side benefit is that since the LBBs hold the plate carrier up, they seem to allow more air to get under the carrier, which has a welcome cooling effect.
The heavier the load you carry, the greater the benefit with the LBBs. Steel plates are very popular these days, and they are quite heavy; so, the LBBs merit a look if you have a set.
The LBBs might seem pricey at $125 for a set of four or $65 for a set of two, but if one is going to be wearing armor for any length of time, they might turn out to be well worth it. They require a good deal of labor to create and show high quality, so the price isn’t unreasonable. As with the other gear, you get a choice of black, coyote brown, MultiCam, and ranger green.
– SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor, Scot Frank Eire
Back in early 1974, I worked as a plain clothes store detective for a chain called Wieboldt’s Department Stores. If I recall correctly, they had about 16 stores in and around the Chicago area. Sadly, they went out of business in 1986. I was moved around, several times, from one store to another, and ultimately I ended-up on the tactical team. We traveled around to different stores, mostly working on employee thefts, because the employees didn’t know who we were. Prior to this, I was the assistant security manager, which again was a plain clothes, armed store detective, at a suburban store in Lombard, IL. At that time, it was a fairly well-to-do suburb. I have no idea if it is still like that. It was a VERY boring store to work at, because the rich just didn’t shoplift.
While working at the Wieboldt’s store in Lombard, IL one of the duties I had was taking daily bank deposits to the bank at the end of the mall parking lot, where the store was located. The company was too cheap to pay for armored car service, to haul a bag of money and checks from the store to the end of the parking lot. On Monday mornings, I could be carrying as much as $50,000 or $60,000 in cash for the deposit. The money was in a bank bag, and it was stuffed inside of a store labeled paper bag, supposedly so no one would know what I was carrying. The walk wasn’t that far, maybe a couple hundred yards. It was quicker to walk to the bank than it was to get in my car and drive there and back, so I always walked to the bank.
At the time, I carried a S&W Model 15 nickel-plated snub-nose revolver in a shoulder holster. I never cared for inside the waist holsters, and I still don’t! While making the daily deposits for the store, sans Sundays, I carried a little two-shot .22 LR derringer in my right front jacket pocket, and I kept my hand on that little derringer while walking to the bank. I surmised back then that I could at least get off one or maybe both shots from that little handgun, if someone was attempting to rob me of the bank deposit and then I’d have time to reach for my main handgun to further engage the attacker. Luckily, no one ever tried to relieve me of the money I was carrying. That was my first experience at carrying a two-shot handgun.
Over the years, that little two-shot derringer found a new home. My mother borrowed it for her business, and where it ended up, I have no idea. My mother and aunt ran a hand-blown glass business, in a rather tough neighborhood in Chicago, and I guess they felt protected by that little two-shot handgun. I’ve since owned a couple more two-shot derringers, as well as a couple single shot handguns, and I guess you could call them “derringers” as well. Never were they my first-line of defense, though.
Enter the Double Tap Defense two-shot derringer. I don’t have all the details as to why this little handgun was so long in coming on the market, but it was a couple years late in coming out. The PR firm that was handling all the advertising for this company kept promising “next week” or “next month” for a sample. After more than a year of waiting, I asked to have my name removed from the gun writer’s list of those who requested a sample. At some point, a little over a year ago, the local gun shop that I haunt received a couple of the Double Tap handguns, and they were priced at $499! OUCH!!! I passed!
Recently, my local gun shop scored a fantastic deal on Double Tap handguns, in 9mm or .45ACP. They were (still are) selling them for $269 each. While sitting there, waiting on UPS to bring me another gun sample that day for an article, I got to playing around with the .45ACP Double Tap, and I was impressed as to how well it was made. It’s not your typical two-shot derringer, where you have to cock the external hammer for each shot. Instead, the Double Tap is fired by simply pulling the trigger twice to fire both barrels. While the trigger pull is rather long, it is smooth. Kudos go to Double Tap on that aspect of the gun. The front sight is attached to the barrel, while the rear sight is part of the frame of the gun. To my aged eyes, I could not see either the front or rear sights without my reading glasses on.
At present, Double Tap Defense is offering their little gun, which fits nicely in your hand or a pocket, in two calibers– 9mm or .45ACP– with the promise of other calibers to come. Also, you can easily swap barrels so you can fire either caliber; it takes all of 30-seconds to push out a pin, remove the barrel, put on another barrel, replace the pin, and you’re ready to go. I purchased the .45ACP that day at the gun shop! The 9mm barrel was selling for $99.00 at the shop. Ihave more on this later.
The Double Tap has a 3″ Bbl, and that’s about as short as you can get it, without sacrificing any more velocity than you’re already going to lose from a .45ACP or 9mm round. There is also an ambidextrous thumb release for easy opening of the barrels, one stacked on top of the other. The gun is not made out of stampings; it’s CNC machined and made in the USA! No plastic parts are to be found on the gun, either. The finish is standard Mil-Spec gray and durable! You can also get an optional ported barrel, at a bit more money if you want that feature. You can have your Double Tap in Aluminum or Titanium; the Ti model is quite a bit more. The gun weights in at 15-oz for the Aluminum-framed version. I purchased the Aluminum version. All-in-all, the gun is very well made.
In the grip of the Double Tap, there is a hidden compartment with room for two additional rounds that are placed on a two-round speed strip, so they don’t rattle around and are fast and easy to get to for a fairly fast reload, believe it or not. I thought the little gun would be slow to reload two more rounds, after firing the first two rounds. Nope! The speed strip makes it fast and easy! You also get another speed strip that holds six more additional rounds that you can carry in a purse or pocket. All things considered, I couldn’t really find anything to fault with the little Double Tap, that is, until I fired it.
I’m here to tell you that I’ve fired some light-weight .44 Mag revolvers with +P loads before, and while they caught my attention they didn’t hurt my hand. The Double Tap hurt the web of my hand, and it hurt for several days! I had some Black Hills Ammunition 230-gr FMJ and 230-gr JHP loads on hand to test in the Double Tap. From Buffalo Bore Ammunition I had their 160-gr low-recoil, standard velocity 160-gr Barnes TAC XP, all copper hollow point loads. To be sure, Double Tap states that you should NEVER fire +P rounds in their little guns. That’s understood!!! Good!!!
Right after I fired the first round from the Double Tap, I honestly thought that the gun might have blown-up in my hand. It hurt that much. Now, I’m no little wimp of a guy, to be sure. However, my hand hurt, and it hurt a lot. I fired the second barrel; it too hurt the web of my hand, a LOT! I fired several more rounds, using the speed loader, and it really does making reloading fast and easy. However, no matter what ammo I used, it hurt my hand. A young man who works at the gun shop told me I was a wimp. Well, he had the opportunity to fire the Double Tap at my digs, and he didn’t want to fire the second barrel, but I chided him into do so. Now, he is about 6′ 6″ tall and easily weighs in at 300-lbs; he’s strong, real strong. Yet, the Double Tap was too much for him. His father, who is also that big, didn’t find any joy in firing the Double Tap either.
I purchased the 9mm dual barrel at the gun shop, hoping it wouldn’t hurt as much as the .45ACP version did. Now, while the 9mm was more comfortable to shoot, it still stung the web of my hand. It didn’t hurt like the .45ACP did, but it stung pretty good, too! I used some Black Hills 9mm ammo for testing out the 9mm barrels, and these were only their 115-gr FMJ loads, not hot-stepping +P loads. Still, the gun stung my hand.
I carried the little Double Tap in my right rear pocket of my cargo pants in a pocket holster from Blackhawk Products, www.blackhawk.com, and the Double tap rode nicely in this holster. It’s the only way to carry a gun in your pocket. You must use a holster designed for pocket carry. Don’t ever just carry a handgun loosely in your pocket, like I did many years ago.
Here’s my thoughts on the Double Tap. First of all, I would never carry the Double Tap as my one and only self-defense handgun. Two shots just aren’t very comforting. Secondly, from my point of view, this gun is best reserved for up-close and personal self-defense. I could hit a target at 15-feet with the lower barrel, which is zeroed for the sights. However, using the second barrel, I could completely miss the target, because there was no such thing as a “group” when firing the Double Tap. The Double Tap is NOT a gun you want to go out and practice with on a regular basis. It will either hurt the web of your hand in .45ACP, or it will surely sting your hand in 9mm, period! This wasn’t just me; others who fired the gun said the same thing.
The Double Tap is best reserved as a back-up handgun to whatever your main handgun is you carry for self-defense. In my case, it would be a back-up to my back-up, which is a Ruger LCP .380 ACP that I carry on my ankle. However, I don’t see myself actually needing a main handgun and two back-up handguns. I honestly wouldn’t recommend the Double Tap to a woman; it just hurts too much to shoot, period! I know, some will say “any handgun is better than no gun at all.” Well, maybe that’s true and maybe not! If you are recoil shy or sensitive when you fire the Double Tap in practice, you may completely miss your target in real-life because you will be anticipating the hurt that the Double Tap delivers on both ends. The Double Tap is a handgun you buy, take out and fire half a dozen rounds through it, and then carry it, take it out six months later to fire again, and carry it. Believe me, it will not give you much pleasure to shoot a box of ammo through this gun in one shooting session or, for that matter, over several shooting sessions.
One last thing that I wanted to mention is that the front of the trigger guard on the Double Tap has serrations on it for placement of the index finger of your off-hand when firing the gun two-handed. Well, don’t!!! I mean, don’t place your finger there! It is too close to the lower barrel, and I can see someone getting their finger in front of the barrel when firing in a hurry and completely blowing that finger off.
I was really hoping the Double Tap was going to be a handgun I would like to carry as a back-up gun only, never as a main gun for self-defense. However, the recoil and hurt was enough for me to just get rid of the gun in very short order. Was it well made? You betcha! Double Tap has done an outstanding job. It’s probably the best made two-shot derringer I’ve ever seen, and I like the double-action trigger pull, too. I would like to see this gun in .380ACP for a more enjoyable shooting session, one that wouldn’t hurt my hand so much. Double Tap has said they are coming out with more calibers. For me, the .45ACP was too painful to shoot. Six rounds was my absolute max pain threshhold; the 9mm was better, but it still stung. Once again, it wasn’t just me complaining about the Double Tap hurting the hand when fired. Maybe others are more manly than me and my friends, but we just didn’t get a lot of pleasure at all out of shooting the Double Tap.
– Senior Product Review Editor, Pat Cascio
One of the things our family (everyone from toddlers to great grandparents) really enjoys for snacks as well as a dessert ingredient is graham crackers. When SHTF occurs and there are none in the stores, we’ll have the choice of going without or making our own. We’ve started making our own from our stores, as we need to now be in the habit of knowing how to provide what we want and need in the future. Wheat berries store a long time. We have a Country Living flour mill that grinds extra fine flour, beautifully. We raise chickens for eggs and have resources to provide honey and most of the other ingredients so that we won’t go without our graham crackers, even if we have to manually grind the flour. Here’s our recipe, so you don’t have to go without this wholesome and yummy snack either. We based this recipe on the one from Nancy Silverton’s Pastries fromthe La Brea Bakery Cookbook.
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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!
HJL,
I am one of THOSE who do not yet have their own chickens but hopefully within a couple of months though. You may have seen this already. I haven’t experienced the rationing, but I bought eggs in April at $1.97 a dozen and went back yesterday to discover they were $2.97 a dozen at my local Walmart. Wow! – C.P.
HJL Replies: We have had chickens for a number of years now and have enjoyed the fresh eggs tremendously. The price of eggs have always been a bit of a sore point with me though. I cannot produce eggs as inexpensive as what you can buy them at Walmart. Even with the recent increase in egg prices, I am not sure that I save any money. However, the quality of the eggs is far above anything that I can buy. Modern egg farms have the science of eggs down, and they tend to keep the chickens just barely above starvation by just feeding them enough to optimally produce. As a child, I can remember buying grade AAA eggs at the local grocery store. Good luck with that today. The best I have seen in years is grade AA with most being grade A. The eggs my chickens produce are well above the AAA grade and taste much better. Even if I never break even on the cost of the eggs, I know exactly what goes into mine, and I actually like my chickens.
Police Seize 6 Children Simply Because Family Was Camping – D.S.
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You Can Be Prosecuted for Clearing Your Browser History. – T.P.
“Prosecutors are able to apply the law broadly because they do not have to show that the person deleting evidence knew there was an investigation underway.”
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New gun blamed for rise in LA County deputy shootings – Smith & Wesson M&P9. – T.J.
Of course, it couldn’t possibly be the training and the fact that the trigger finger is on the trigger when it shouldn’t be. – HJL
“A tyranny based on … deception and maintained by terror must inevitably perish from the poison it generates within itself.” – Albert Einstein
During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution on June 14th, 1777, stating that “the flag of the United States be thirteen alternate stripes red and white” and that “the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.” The national flag, which became known as the “Stars and Stripes,” was based on the “Grand Union” flag– a banner carried by the Continental Army in 1776 that also consisted of 13 red and white stripes.
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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:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:
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.
Self-reliance and independence is required in every area, if we wish to be free. It is always better to take the side of truth. Freedom is dangerous; tyranny is worse. Helpless dependence upon humanity is bondage. Helpless dependence upon Christ is freedom, for He is our source of ability.
Remember the principle “that every man be armed” does not require that every man be armed with any particular tool but that every man be armed with the most effective equipment he can obtain and be trained in its proper and effective use. “Put on the whole armor…, and having done all, to stand,” declared the apostle.
Physical fitness is every bit as important as tools, if not more so. Our health is our most valuable possession. Therefore, we should strive for a lifestyle that will include large amounts of moderate outdoor exercise. Again, use what you have rather than sitting around wishing you were younger, stronger, wiser, or more skilled.
In an open area, such as the parking lot, contact weapons are very effective. On the other hand, when obstacles and barricades are available, projectile weapons offer a huge advantage. In their situation, bows and arrows would have given a valuable advantage over axes and similar tools. Obviously, firearms would be preferred.
Any large weapon that requires space to operate– a spear, bow, or long gun– should be coupled with a side-arm to use if the enemy should get too close. A 5-inch-plus belt knife is good. Instant accessibility is vital. It should be strong enough to withstand its operator’s adrenaline, have an effectively efficient point for penetrating, and an effective finger guard. Hopefully, it will be just as useful for utility purposes as for combat.
Barricades were built across each driveway, including the driveways of the unoccupied homes. “From the road, all our laneways curved up to our homes through stands of hardwoods and cedars… an effective screen in every sense of the word.” When the raid came, staying out of sight was of vast importance. The raiders saw two men and one gun.
Under the unique circumstances, it was a stroke of genius! It was non-injurious but effective.
“Six days after our re-organization,…” How many days did it take to implement the reorganization? I’d guess that they barely had the defenses in place in time.
“Mark heard trucks coming down the road. The baby monitor crackled a warning, and Sue yelled out to John, Peter, myself, and our boys. We all grabbed our gear and went to the barricade.”
“They stopped at our laneway. There was silence for a moment, and then we heard a guy yell, ‘I’m telling you, this is the place! I saw him in town a few days ago with his truck.’”
There was a clue. These guys weren’t lost.
“They pulled apart our barricade.” “The trucks came up the laneway.” “The first truck got stuck between the logs [in the carefully-located truck trap]. Eight men poured from the trucks.”
Why were three trucks and eight men? Why not send one truck with two or three men to each house? Did they expect to harvest three truckloads of loot?
“You guys make fine targets.” That was a fair warning, a wise challenge.
“They looked around but couldn’t see us for the trees.” This is so important. They had only heard one man yell.
“We don’t want any trouble. We need food.”
This sounds as if they were pleading and comes across as disarming and asking for pity. They wanted easy pickings. Plunder will cease only when labor becomes significantly less painful than plunder. This is a law of human nature. These fathers/husbands/brothers were determined to make plunder painful.
“You can’t stop us all!” Nice threat, bullies. Are you sure? These words are anything but peaceable. They betray the venom of violent intent.
Mr. H, again, was the only one who spoke. Yet, he spoke of “we” and “us.”
With regards to food, he said, yes, we’ll help you. “Love your enemies.” Matthew 5:44. “If thine enemy hunger, feed him.” Romans 12:20. However, you could poach your own deer without attacking people and risking getting shot for it. (Survival hunting in a life-threatening food emergency is lawful.) You could come without such a show of force and simply ask for food.
Notice that Mr. H. did not say anything to indicate that they had any food, except what they had just harvested, and they did not show the men how to “unstick” the truck or give them time to figure out how.
Until the men were safely out on public right-of-way, it would not be safe to send anyone to get a haunch of deer, and until the truck was unstuck and down to the hole in the barricade nobody could be tolerated in the laneway. Only when the invitation was given to send ONE MAN up to get the truck, could ONE MAN be allowed to come up the lane. Any violation of orders would be an act of belligerence.
Note that no warning shots were fired. None were needed. They needed every single cartridge that the shotgun could hold to be reserved for real targets, and five choice words were perfectly effective as warning. If he had fired a warning shot, it might have given the attackers grounds for filing legal charges.
A warning shot may betray reluctance to employ force. This reluctance reduces the psychological effect of a verbal warning.
Finally, these desperate, hungry men were probably not normally violent. We see no evidence of illegal weapons in their hands such as what a city gang might have. Neither did we see these items in the hands of the mob at Home Depot. These were simply strangers, neighbors-turned-looters. It is a blessing that they were stopped from committing a crime. Hopefully, they were deterred from harming others and found a better way to feed their families than by robbery.
When land line phones, cell service, and Internet are all out of commission, the violent element feels that “the cat is away,” so “the mice can play.” Nobody can call the police!
“When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace,” said Jesus. Mr. H and company followed Nehemiah’s example; and like Nehemiah, their efforts were rewarded. They did not suffer loss of life or critical infrastructure, only minor damage to property.
“But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.” Matthew 11:22.
“Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” Psalm 127:1.
“Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob. Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.” Psalm 44:4-8.
Faith in God requires us to exert all the energy and wisdom He gives. However, if we trust in our own efforts and fail to give credit where credit is due, God will humble us. It is better to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God.
“I saw the maple leaf on his shoulder. The army was here checking on us to make sure we were safe.”
Excellent. That is what they should do. However, beware. If martial law is declared, the visit of the maple leaf could likely involve confiscation or the commandeering of supplies, vehicles, firearms, livestock, and/or the owners thereof. It would make the visit of the raiders pale into the shadows.
So, not only is it necessary to be prepared to shelter in place and to withstand civil unrest, but plans should be in place to escape the iron talons, on short notice, when the pot boils over. In the example here, would they have had one minute, three minutes, or five minutes, in which to melt into the woodwork? Would they have been aware of such a change in government? Would they have wisdom to relate to a total lockdown of travel, permits for travel, roadblocks everywhere, and unknown other new impositions?
Thank God for a little respite. He is still holding the winds of strife.
“And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt.” Exodus 13:17.
America, including Canada, has been very sheltered, far more sheltered than were the Israelites during their sojourn in Egypt. Today, God wants to lead His people into the heavenly Caanan, but many of us are soft. We have not seen war. Our conflicts have been petty affairs. We enjoy our secure society that insulates us from the harsh realities of nature and the harsher realities of demon-possessed humanity. We have no clue what “the land of the Philistines” is like.
Likewise, Jesus wanted to prepare His disciples for the shock of His agony, capture, torture, and death. “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.” John 16:12, 13.
Thank God that He is patient. He is leading on gently, not allowing us to be over-driven. “If men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.” Genesis 33:13.
Yet, the day of battle is coming. As with Israel, the time to enter Caanan is coming. Here is what they did:
“And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.” Numbers 14:2-4.
They had not even attempted to obey. They wanted to die, so that they wouldn’t need to try! They refused to believe that God would do all that human power could not, so that they could obey His commands.
“If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?” Jeremiah 12:5.
Faith would have enabled Israel to take the shorter path into Caanan. If their faith had been strong, they could have skipped 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. Maybe God would have led them in by the way of the Philistines, maybe not. In any case, we have the failure to avoid repeating.
“Come where Christ is, and you will have light. Talk unbelief, and you will have unbelief; but talk faith, and you will have faith. According to the seed sown will be the harvest. If you talk of heaven and the eternal reward, you will become lighter and lighter in the Lord, and your faith will grow, because it is exercised. Fasten your eyes upon Jesus, dear friends, and by beholding you will become assimilated to his image. Do not allow your thoughts to dwell continually upon things of the earth, but place them upon things that are heavenly, and then, wherever you are, you will be a light to the world.
“Live the life of faith day by day. Do not become anxious and distressed about the time of trouble, and thus have a time of trouble beforehand. Do not keep thinking, ‘I am afraid I shall not stand in the great testing day.’ You are to live for the present, for this day only. Tomorrow is not yours. Today you are to maintain the victory over self. Today you are to live a life of prayer. Today you are to fight the good fight of faith. Today you are to believe that God blesses you. And as you gain the victory over darkness and unbelief, you will meet the requirements of the Master, and will become a blessing to those around you.” Historical Sketches, 142-143.
“All who are under the training of God need the quiet hour for communion with their own hearts, with nature, and with God. In them is to be revealed a life that is not in harmony with the world, its customs, or its practices; and they need to have a personal experience in obtaining a knowledge of the will of God. We must individually hear Him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. He bids us, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10. This is the effectual preparation for all labor for God. Amidst the hurrying throng, and the strain of life’s intense activities, he who is thus refreshed will be surrounded with an atmosphere of light and peace. He will receive a new endowment of both physical and mental strength. His life will breathe out a fragrance, and will reveal a divine power that will reach men’s hearts.” The Ministry of Healing, pg. 58.
This training is the door to all other training. God gives the farmer wisdom (Isaiah 28:24-26). He gives the workman skill (Exodus 31:2, 3). He is the best teacher of military science (Psalm 18:34; 144:1).
“Success is not the result of chance or of destiny; it is the outworking of God’s own providence, the reward of faith and discretion, of virtue and persevering effort. The Lord desires us to use every gift we have; and if we do this, we shall have greater gifts to use. He does not supernaturally endow us with the qualifications we lack; but while we use that which we have, He will work with us to increase and strengthen every faculty. By every wholehearted, earnest sacrifice for the Master’s service our powers will increase. While we yield ourselves as instruments for the Holy Spirit’s working, the grace of God works in us to deny old inclinations, to overcome powerful propensities, and to form new habits. As we cherish and obey the promptings of the Spirit, our hearts are enlarged to receive more and more of His power, and to do more and better work. Dormant energies are aroused, and palsied faculties receive new life.” Christ’s Object Lessons, pgs. 353-354.
May God help us to follow His leading faithfully. This will prepare us for every emergency.
Pat:
I have a question about instinct shooting. Several years ago I saw a video showing a technique called “index shooting”. This video had the shooter standing with his handgun arm locked at right angel and elbow locked to side with handgun approximately six inches out from lower ribcage. Wrist is locked and shooter swings torso to change radial firing direction. Off hand is held up toward chest with palm pressed to upper chest to keep it behind the muzzel. In the video demo the shooter was very accurate, but I have not seen this technique elsewhere and have lost the link long ago. This may not be called “index shooting”. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks. – J.B.
Pat Cascio Responds: There are several different types of Point Shooting, or Instinct Shooting, being taught out there, and one particular method– the one I learned from the late Col. Rex Applegate– is simply called Point Shooting, and it can easily be learned in an hour or less. There are several methods demonstrated in my DVD Tactical Point Shooting by Paladin Press. One method is the “Lift” that I favor; another is the “Swing”, demonstrated by the late John McSweeney, and there is another method that is called the “Push” and taught by Sheriff Jim Wilson, in the DVD. I believe the DVD is only $9.95 from Paladin Press.
In the DVD entitled Rex Applegate, The Lost Tapes that I produced for the good Colonel back in 1992, you will see two young men demonstrating Instinct Shooting. I taught both of these young men how to do this over an hour lunch break. Mas Ayoob also teaches a form of Point Shooting in his book Stress Fire. Applegate’s DVD also sells for $9.95 from Paladin Press and is very informative.
Lastly, you may want to purchase a copy of Kill Or Get Killed, which was written by Col. Applegate during WWII, when he was with the OSS. Here he demonstrates Instinct Shooting, as well as a lot of other self-defense techniques. This book is the longest and best-selling book on close combat methods in history.
I have found that Point Shooting, in most cases, is very accurate out to about 18-21 feet with a modicum of practice. However, keep in mind that aimed shooting is always best, when you have the time, the light, and other factors working for you. When you don’t, resort to Point Shooting!