Save A Life, by H.H.

I could not help but reflect, when I read the article under the Odds N’ Sods section about a person being at a range and looking like they did not belong. This was me, too. I appreciate the lady protecting her children. However, I, too, once walked onto a gun range and did not know what I was doing.

My first outing at a gun range was while I was in college. I received a Concealed Carry Permit (CCP) from our Sheriff before I was 21 under the circumstances exception rule, as I was driving two hours to college and living in an area in which I did not feel safe. It was my first time being away from home. My father gave me two guns to try at the range we found when we visited campus. The first was a Model 36 Smith & Wesson .38 Chief’s Special. The second was a Ruger Blackhawk .30 Carbine. I was as green as new growth on a pine tree, just living on my own and studying hard. It was a welcomed relief to get to go to the range and have some fun.

I had never been to an indoor range. I walked in and the only person working was the owner. I did not even have a gun with me; I just wanted to look around. That was my first mistake. The first question I was asked was “Are you some left-winged, anti-gun, chicken s**t pansy?” I said, “No!” and looked him square in the eye. He said something like, “Good. I’d throw your tail out of here so fast it would pass your head on the way out the door.” Then he gave me a tour of the facility, and I told him I would like to come back on Saturday. He recommended I come early. He opened at 7 AM. He also told me that the range master was really fond of Krispy Kreme doughnuts and coffee. It came across that buttering him up would help me be accepted.

I was nervous. I did not have any fancy gun carriers. I just stuck the guns and ammo in my backpack and went bee-bopping in. However, the range master stared at me as I walked into his range. He kindly put his arm around me and asked if I was a student at the university. He quickly took to me and me to him. Maybe it was unusual for a college student to be at the range at 7 AM on a Saturday morning. Since the owner told me to bring the range master a cup of coffee and some doughnuts from the Krispy Kreme, it could also have been the doughnuts I had in my hands, the cup of coffee, or the green pine he could smell. Regardless, the range master would soon confront me.

The range master was glad to see doughnuts, as were the other employees. He got me started, and we discussed gun range etiquette, how to handle the gun while at “his range”, how to use the target system, and his rules. There was a red revolving light. He told me that if I see that light go “hot” to stop immediately, lay the gun down, and back off.

I shot 50 rounds through the .38 special at 15 yards with nice grouping. Then, I pulled out the Ruger. I steadily moved the target to 50 yards. I was pretty cocky, and I could not wait to squeeze the Ruger’s trigger. I shot the Ruger, and I heard a “bang” and then a “plink” as the bullet rambled into the armor plating in the back of the indoor range. The bullet struck the plating very, very solidly. Immediately, the glaring red revolving light went hot! It was flashing like a fire truck driving at midnight down the road. I laid my gun down and backed off. I felt like an idiot. The range master came running to me as the other shooters were gazing at me, further making me feel like an idiot. The range master placed his arm around me and asked, “What kind of cannon did you bring to my range?” Everyone walked over to see this gun. I did not realize it was exotic. I just liked a cowboy action gun. Yes, it had the original 0.75 pound trigger. The range master asked if he could shoot it. He was bringing it to sight, and he bumped the trigger. There was the same “bang” and “plink” I heard earlier, with an additional “clunk” in the middle. He shot the floor, and it then struck the back wall. The people were laughing and ducking all at the same time; well, that was everyone but me. I was too stupid to know to duck. The other employees then gathered around me and wanted their turn with this gun.

At the end of the session, I was friends with the employees, and we were laughing about it. However, I was asked to not bring that gun back. Then the range master pulled me off to the side. He told me the University has a strict policy about no guns on campus. I would be expelled if they found the gun with me driving through campus, even with the CCP. This was my first taste of an education system imitating a monarchy and destroying the United States Constitution.

I was very careful from then on. If I had a weapon with me, I would circle around campus. Luckily, I never lived in university housing. It would have been impossible for me to have a weapon. The drive I made was through some heavily congested big cities and country back roads where I knew nobody.

My confidence grew, with the range master’s help, and I became a good shot. I made it a point to go shoot once every two weeks and bring a box of doughnuts and a cup of coffee. I never went later than 7 AM, and I gained the respect of the gun range guys. However, the reason I did this was so that nobody would see me go in the range. Nobody saw me with guns in my apartment complex. My roommates did not know I had a gun. Every kid on campus has a backpack. By carrying guns in a backpack, I did not stand out. I wore clothes like a college kid would, to not stand out. The bottom line was that I wanted to blend in while in plain sight.

Only once did we have a problem at the apartment complex. Some of the city’s native citizens thought they would come over and rummage through our cars and steal radios and other items. My roommate woke me up just after midnight and said that people were busting car windows. He called the police, and I watched out our window. There were four of them. Two groups of two were breaking in cars and laughing. While they were in the car just outside my window, I took my gun, went out the door, and circled behind the car without being seen. I then came behind the car and ordered them to show me their hands and lay on the ground. My neighbor stopped the other two with a shotgun. The police showed up and told us we were stupid protecting car radios with our lives. I disagreed. I was protecting my property. At that point in life, all I owned was a car. I was protecting my property. Yes, it was the principle that I would not be a victim.

I found out how unresponsive our legal system was and is. The four intruders got off with probation and time served. Their timed served was 48 hours. I know we cannot lock up everyone, but at that time I felt like I was unrewarded for my duty to my neighbors.

Then it came time for me to graduate. I interviewed with the U.S. Customs Agency. It was tempting to use both guns and my degree to make a living, but with an accounting degree I knew I needed a little experience and the ability to earn the title “CPA”.

Being at the range, I learned that no matter where I am, I had better know the rules concerning guns. The second thing I learned was that my education would come from real life experiences as well as from a text book. Finally, I learned that it does not matter where I am, if I can blend in, I can go undetected. That is until now, with the increasing use of new surveillance systems, I may never be able to blend in again.

I, too, wanted to be protected, and I wanted to be responsible. That was why I practiced. Through repetition, I was able to train my muscles for proper shooting. Later in life, I became a reserve deputy for the same department that issued me an early CCP. There again, the lessons at the range made it so I could help the other deputies and not be a liability to the deputies.

However, in typing this article, I have realized that I’ve never repaid the kindness afforded to me forward. Someday, I will have the chance to help somebody at a range, and I hope I will accept the challenge. We have a responsibility as gun owners to help other gun owners not be a liability to themselves or the people they live with.

Letter Re: Surviving Homeschool, by M.

I am always excited to read about others Home-Schooling or “home educating” their children. I am a veteran of home-schooling our four children through high-school (or secondary school, for our international friends). They are all now married with small children of their own, and each have become competent adults with a sober view of the future.

When we started, home education was only a few years legal in my state. Before the birth of our first child, we had already met two families of “renegade home schoolers” who were educating their children at home secretly because they were appalled by the state of our public education locally and could not afford a private school. They shared their passion for their children and for education with us “newlyweds” and in doing so they planted the seed that would later become our own.

Back then, finding good curriculum was a chore! The Internet was young, and finding other home schoolers was serendipitous. Now, everything is online. Quality materials can be found for every learning syle and subject. I am so grateful for the pioneers of home schooling!

I used to tell people that home schooling isn’t for everyone. I have since realized that is no longer relevant for our present cultural atmosphere. Public educational rules in general are restricting teachers and administrators to the point that they are no longer able to teach children the basics or how to be capable adults in society. Much of that belongs to parents anyway. I want to stress that I don’t condemn public education nor those who are employed in that field, but times are-a-changin’. Political dogma, peer influence, poor curriculum choices, and down-right immorality are permeating public schools, even in rural areas. I keep tabs locally on the educational arena and also know several people employed in local schools. They are very troubled by the increasing interference in the classroom.

It is time to re-think who gets to have our children for 6-10 hours, 5-6 days a week, 180 days a year. That is a HEAVY influence on the formation of their person-hood. If you taught your children how to walk, talk, use a toilet, and feed themselves, you can help them learn their ABC’s, 123’s, and rocket science, if necessary! The accumulated knowledge of the world is literally at your fingertips (read: “Internet”). You can now track down any resource you need, or your children need.

Home schooling is the way to make certain your children are prepared for the world they will encounter as adults and protect their minds from stuff you would never share with them until adulthood, but many school districts are putting in the classrooms, in spite of parents’ protests.

Pray and search your hearts, and consider home education now, as a way to protect your children and their future. – KM, in Ohio

Economics and Investing:

The revival of the American debt machine: auto loans, student debt, and credit card debt surge in latest report. Total non-housing debt now at $3.15 trillion.

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Greece is a sideshow – watch US T-bonds instead. – A.D.

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Infographic: Too Big to Fail

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“When central banks print money nothing begins to make sense!”— “It is no longer a free market. Markets are now manipulated by governments and notably by their agents, the central bankers.”

Odds ‘n Sods:

Law enforcement divided over releasing StingRay docs. – K.D.

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The nanny state strikes again! We’ll see how long it takes this to make it into the school lunch program. America Should Adopt ‘Plant-Based’ Diet. – D.S.

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Spies Can Track You Just by Watching Your Phone’s Power Use. – RBS

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Too Many Lies, Too Much of the Time

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From one of our favorite video blogs – Wranglerstar: How To Build A Treehouse

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering” Exodus 25:2 (KJV)

Notes for Friday – February 20, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 57 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 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 then 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 30 DPMS AR-15 .223/5.56 30 Round Gray Mil Spec w/ Magpul Follower Magazines (a value of $448) 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. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Instituteis 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,
  5. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P),
  6. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  7. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  9. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate, and
  10. 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,
  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 Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack (a $379 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 57 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Surviving Homeschool, by M.

As I began this homeschool journey, my expectations and reality have clashed more times than I’d like to count. Being a former teacher, I love to make lesson plans and think of how I can relate a topic or subject to incite excitement and see the light of understanding dawn on the student’s face. I love that part of teaching. (Most teachers do.) However, the daily life of homeschooling was much different than that of a typical school room.

My days start when I wake up and don’t end until I go to bed. I am always “ON,” which makes each moment I spend with my children a blessing and not so much at the same time. I’m not their teacher; I’m their mother. They don’t revere me as most children revere their teachers in school. I’m just the mom that swaddled them as a baby, fed them, did their laundry, or helped them with a skinned knee, so what do I know of multiplication tables or science? I may just be Mom, but now I’m a homeschooling mom– ultimately responsible (along with my husband) for their entire education. Not only do I need to education them on living life but also on the academics for life. How will I do it all? Luckily in my first year of homeschooling, by accident I ran across an article written by another homeschooling mom (I can’t find her site now) that laid it all out for me.

This acronym encapsulated everything that I wanted to bring to my homeschool. It was short, witty, and amazingly right on target for me. That acronym was A.R.T.:

  • A stood for attitude,
  • R is for relationship, and
  • T translated into teaching.

I wanted that for my homeschool, but my next hurdle was how. I seriously thought, “How do I do all that?” I know many people that have wonderful thoughts and theories but little knowledge or advise on how to go about it on a daily basis. That was my challenge.

Homeschool is in essence a way of life. It changes the way you look at your children and your conversations with them, and basically your motivation for everything you do changes. Homeschool is also different for everyone. No two homeschools are the same. So with that in mind, I will try to carve out a way you can create your own homeschool with A.R.T.

A = Attitude

One day that’s all I did; I spent it teaching attitude. Yes, I said teaching, because that’s what I do all day long. Whether it is cooking, cleaning, chores, or homeschooling, before I start anything, I check the attitude. Most days we move on from attitude quickly to a relationship, which in turn lends itself to teaching, but this one day…. well, it was all attitude training. From the get-go, he was in a sour mood and never got free of it. He spent the day by himself, and occasionally he would get a chance to interact with us, but it never lasted long before he was off by himself again. I won’t tolerate a bad attitude. Without a good attitude, you won’t learn anything academic in nature. Your brain is stuck– not able to expand or bring in new ideas (or any good ideas).

How do you check the attitude? First, I start with me. How am I approaching the day? Am I mad or upset? Why? What are my facial expressions? What words and tone am I using towards others? If I have a good attitude, that will create good energy in my home and permeate to others. Most times, it works. However, like I said, this one day it didn’t. So, then I try to talk to the offending party (my son) and coax him out of his bad attitude. Some days it works, and others it won’t. If he won’t change his tune, he is by himself. I figure that if I’m having a good attitude, then I don’t deserve a bad attitude in return.

The next question is couldn’t he just use the bad attitude to stay by himself and not get any “school work” done. With this one, he will eventually come around. He usually does. He doesn’t like to be alone. (No human really does.) So, eventually, he will decide to change his attitude and join the fun of family life, which includes homeschool.

Tip #1: On a more practical level, as part of their grades I have an attitude grade. I put it under a subject called “Home” with “Attitude” as the course. He has to keep all his grades at either an “A” or “B” to have house privileges. Recap: each assignment has a number grade of how well they completed the assignment as well an attitude grade.

Tip #2: I use Homeschool Tracker (computer database) to keep track of grades. I print out an Assignment Sheet each week for each student. The Assignment Sheet has two boxes for each assignment. After each assignment is completed, I write their grade for the work in one box and in the other box I write one of the following: a “G” (green), which means a good attitude; a “Y” (yellow), which represents a borderline attitude; or a “R” (red), which means they had a poor attitude. Each green is one point, and each point is worth five minutes of video games. A yellow is worth nothing, and a red means they owe me five points. If they ever want to play video games I simply ask, “How many points do you have?” If they’ve had a bad attitude and have no points, then there are no games played; if they have points, they can spend them. It really takes the decision out of my hands and puts it into theirs. They have complete control over whether they get to play video games or not. Children have so little control over their lives that I have found this is a great way to give them some control. Also, it helps with the attitude training.

R = Relationship

Are you a mom or a teacher? Well, homeschooling moms are both. That may be confusing for some children, especially those that have already been in public school. The relationship that you have with your children as their mom is totally different from the relationship your children will have with other teachers in their life. Just remember, that as mom you aren’t as smart as the other teachers. Now, don’t get angry with me. I’m not saying you aren’t smart; it’s just that’s how your children probably see you. I can’t count how many times my children have said to me, “How did you know that?” I know I said it to my mother, and I’m aware of other moms I talk with echoing the same experience back to me, too. Our children love us beyond measure; they just don’t think we know many “school” things. That’s for those smart teachers. Well, hang in there. Your children will soon learn you know a thing or two or three. Just keep a sense of humor about it all, and you will be fine. Good relationships are built on strong foundations, and there is no other foundation as strong as the one you will receive in homeschooling your children.

Tip #1: Each relationship is different as well. I always tell my children that to be fair doesn’t mean it has to be the same. A punishment for one child may be different than the other child’s, or a reward will be different, because each child’s needs are different. If everything was the same, it inherently will be unfair, because both children are not the same.

Tip #2: Admit you don’t know everything. This will not only tear down any defenses your child may have; it will tear yours down as well. It is okay that you don’t know everything. You can learn right along with your child. I remember a math assignment my third grader had, and during that assignment I learned why we carry a one to the tens column. I always knew we did, but it was never explained to me (or I didn’t absorb it). My ego took a great shot that day, but his ego got a huge boost. It was worth it to see us learn it together. He probably doesn’t remember it now, but I remember that lesson with great fondness in my heart.

Tip #3: It is your responsibility to create learning experiences, assignments, classes, and opportunities for your child. It is your child’s responsibility to learn. They have a job, too. They need to engage in the lessons, learn from them, and communicate to you what they learned. This will not only deepen your relationship, but you will learn an awful lot about your child in the process. You will learn more about how they think and why they say and do certain things. It’s really fascinating to learn about my children. I am constantly amazed by reactions they may have and to find out the reason was silly to me but not so silly to them. We’ve had some wonderful conversations– many conversations that never would have happened had they been in a school away from home.

T = Teaching

Gardening, survival planning, cooking from scratch, food preserving, camping, and similar activities are all skills we need. If we ever do have a grid-down scenario, those are skills you want your children to know. You won’t find a homeschool curriculum in those subjects, but you don’t need a “homeschool curriculum” to teach them. Find some YouTube videos, read this website, and then teach your child. Gardening can be science; all the others can count as history. Most pioneers knew about survival planning, cooking from scratch, food preserving, and camping. Do a unit study on pioneer skills, and teach. Have fun, and act it out. Make costumes, and do a pioneer day. Make it count!

There are so many resources available to homeschoolers; it’s just too many to count. Here’s what you really need to do:

1. Set up a work area with either a desk or table, along with an area for his materials.

2. A file cabinet to file their report cards, synopsis of their work, and store your teaching materials.

3. Structure each day with time for work to be completed, play, chores, and outside obligations.

Tip #1: Your students need a work area, but so do you. You need a place to stay organized and know what’s going on. Besides, most children don’t like to work at a desk. One of mine likes the couch, where the other one does like his desk.

Tip #2: Get a large four-drawer file cabinet, if you can manage it. It is large, but you will fill it up in no time. I store art materials, games, paper, cards, and paint in mine. In my experience, you can never have enough storage space for school. You will always want more.

Tip #3: Structure at my home goes like this. My students have a weekly work box. That means that I put all their work to be completed in one box with a weekly assignment sheet. They know what needs to be done and on which day it needs to be done. However, I don’t mind if they switch things around a bit, as long as they stay on track to get all the assignments done by the end of the week. Make sure you start out in a structured manner but allow flexibility, within limits.

In the end, you need to make your homeschool exactly that– yours! Take time to read a bit on the different homeschool styles, to decide what will work best for you, whether it be Classical, Charlotte Mason, Unit Studies, or Montessori. All of these have various pros and cons. What may be a pro for one person is a con for another. As I said before, homeschooling will look different for each home.

Lastly, remember that our children are not empty pots to be filled with facts and figures. They are people who live in a world with other people. We need to remember that, and educate the whole person not just academics. Our survival depends on it.

Letter Re: I-594

James, Your article “Learning from Washington’s Huge Background Checks Mistake” is on target. My comment is on the Founding Father’s intent of the Second Amendment– to permanently preserve the capability of the general public to be adequately armed to stand up to a tyrannical government. The only place in the Constitution that explicitly prevents “adjusting or interfering” with an Amendment, is the Second, with the admonition “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED”. I have yet to see or hear of a definition of that statement that allows ANY of the multitude of “gun control laws” that currently infringe on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Why is “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED” totally ignored, specifically, by all of the courts in the land? I guess my question is, how do We the People get the Constitution back in control of this country? – E.C.

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JWR,

Thank you for your article on the Washington gun law fiasco. I’m glad to see someone still talking about it. I became a resident of WA last year before the vote. I almost became a resident of ID, but in the end, no income tax and low cost for acreage in WA won out. I’m starting to reconsider my choice, based on the results of last fall’s vote. If this trend continues, I may have to relocate again.

The reason I’m replying to this is to ask what is there to do about it? We all hear “get out and vote” or “vote with your feet”, but the time to stand and fight is near, I think. When I say “stand and fight”, I mean reverse this statist trend in WA and any other state. I’m all for partitioning Eastern WA, and I’m sure many others are, but I believe the “how” is what people are stuck on before actions take place. In my mind, the only way it would even be considered is to make it worth both sides. Beyond that, I haven’t the foggiest idea of a starting point to get this ball rolling. I’m tired of the liberal incrementalism. I’d love to see your take on this.

-DW

HJL Responds: It currently seems that the “vote with your feet” option is about the only option left. We keep expecting a grassroots movement to start rolling on the partitioning of the state, but the ability of the eastern part of the state to absorb the punishing onslaught of progressive radicalism without reaching a breaking point is astounding. That movement must come from the residents of the state, as outside influence will simply be seen as meddling.

Odds ‘n Sods:

A Moral Code For The Post-Collapse World. – ShepherdFarmerGeek

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Although there is much in the history of America’s wars with the Barbary pirates that is of direct relevance to the current global war on terrorism, one aspect seems particularly instructive to informing our understanding of contemporary affairs. Very simply put, the Barbary pirates were committed, militant Muslims who meant to do exactly what they said. Take, for example, the 1786 meeting in London of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja, the Tripolitan ambassador to Britain. As American ambassadors to France and Britain, respectively, Jefferson and Adams met with Ambassador Adja to negotiate a peace treaty and protect the United States from the threat of Barbary piracy. These future United States Presidents questioned the ambassador as to why his government was so hostile to the new American republic even though America had done nothing to provoke any such animosity. Ambassador Adja answered them, as they reported to the Continental Congress, that it was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners, and that every Musselman [Muslim] who should be slain in Battle was sure to go to Paradise. Sound familiar? Note that America’s Barbary experience took place well before colonialism entered the lands of Islam, before there were any oil interests dragging the U.S. into the fray, and long before the founding of the state of Israel. America became entangled in the Islamic world and was dragged into a war with the Barbary States simply because of the religious obligation within Islam to bring belief to those who do not share it. This is not something limited to “radical” or “fundamentalist” Muslims, which is not to say that such obligations lead inevitably to physical conflict, at least not in principle. After all, peaceful proselytizing among various religious groups continues apace throughout the world; but within the teachings of Islam, and the history of Muslims, this is a well-established militant thread.

Victory in Tripoli: Lessons for the War on Terrorism. – P.M.

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Officials Declare ‘Eating Healthy’ a Mental Disorder. – D.S.

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Raging Rudy Giuliani “What Is Wrong With Our President?!”. – M.B.

Notes for Thursday – February 19, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 57 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 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 then 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 30 DPMS AR-15 .223/5.56 30 Round Gray Mil Spec w/ Magpul Follower Magazines (a value of $448) 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. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Instituteis 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,
  5. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P),
  6. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  7. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  9. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate, and
  10. 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,
  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 Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack (a $379 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 57 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

BOB(B): Bug Out Bag (Baloney), by R.S.

Many in the prepper community work hard to develop the skills and test the gear that they expect to rely on in a time of collapse. However, I am convinced that many more are “armchair” preppers. These “armchair” preppers are those who are actively involved in reading blogs (including excellent ones like this one, of course!) and purchasing supplies and equipment but never actually using them to verify that they will serve their intended purpose in a time of crisis. I am further convinced that this is nowhere more true than in the oft-discussed area of “bug out bags”.

Preppers generally agree that it is prudent to have a single bag packed and ready in the event of a dire emergency. The contents vary somewhat, depending on the purpose of the bag. An evacuation (bug-out) bag will likely differ from a “get home” bag. However, both are typically intended to serve the same fundamental purpose: to enable the user to sustain life for several days while traveling on foot. Of course, better modes of transportation are preferable, but the method of transport if all else fails is walking.

With this basic requirement in mind, then, many of the recommendations for bug out gear are suspect if not downright dangerous. If you are able to pick up a 40-pound bug out bag, add to it another 25 pounds of gear and supplies that are often excluded from the “dry” bag list (such as water, firearms, and ammunition), and carry that 65 pound load 45 miles in three days, you have my sincere respect and admiration. Also, I know an Army recruiter who would like to speak to you about a spot in the Rangers. When I was a lean, fit, 20-year-old youngster, I may have been able to do this, but I doubt it. Now that I am a less lean, less fit, fifty something man, I am sure that I could not. Despite being in decent shape (for my age), I could not manage more than a few miles a day with a 65 pound load and would almost certainly suffer debilitating injury due to strain, sprain, or fall.

Ask any serious backpacker and they will tell you that weight is key in long distance hiking. I did not believe this prior to my first backpacking experience. I purchased a medium-large backpack with plenty of organizing pockets. I cringe to think of the gear that I stuffed into it for an overnight trip. After all, what is a measly 35 pounds? I can carry that with ease. After six miles over relatively level ground, an overnight stay, and six miles back, I quickly realized the value of carrying less weight. Lightweight and ultralight backpackers will go to great lengths and, often, spend considerably more for gear that is a few ounces lighter after experiencing the toil (or worse) of carrying extra weight.

This raises the obvious question: how much weight can I carry? The answer varies considerably based on factors such as terrain, fitness, and so forth. The “rule of thumb” in the backpacker community is 25% of your body weight. In my experience, this should be refined to read “25% of your ideal weight, less the difference between your ideal weight and your actual weight”. For example, my ideal weight is 185 pounds. On that basis, I should be able to carry 46 pounds. However, my actual weight is 210 pounds, which means I carry 25 pounds of excess weight with me every day! If I subtract this weight from my calculated carry weight, I will begin to suffer if my load is much over 20 pounds.

The obvious response to this computation is simple: “lose some weight, you cow!” Indeed, you would be right, and I hope this realization will motivate me to lose some weight. Every pound I lose is one more pound of useful supplies or gear that I can carry. In fact, it is virtually certain that a disaster scenario would cause me to lose weight. Nevertheless, if I had to pick up my bug out bag today and walk 30 miles in three days, I would be hard pressed to do so with a total load out of much more than twenty pounds. Frankly, I do not believe my situation is all that unusual in the prepper community.

This weight limit greatly constrains what I include in my emergency bag. While a hatchet, a NATO trenching shovel, and a large, fixed blade bush-crafting knife would all be very useful, there is no way I could include all three without sacrificing in another and, likely, more critical area. While I might like to bring a SOCOM rifle, 300 rounds of .308 ammo, a Kimber 1911, and 200 rounds of .45 Auto, I may need to settle for a Kel Tec SU16C, four 30-round magazines of .223, a Ruger LC9, and two spare 9-round magazines. The basic principle is simple; if I attempt to carry more than I am capable of carrying on the day the SHTF, I will endanger my survival through a greatly increased risk of injury.

Three particular areas of BOB gear deserve special mention. First, there are countless articles and reviews about bag selection, including many recommendations utilizing military surplus gear. Contrary to popular opinion, military surplus bags are almost never a good choice for most preppers. While they are typically durable and easily blend in for discrete travel, they also typically have two serious flaws– they are heavy, and they lack adequate structure to transfer the weight to the hips.

Experienced backpackers quickly learn that it is vital to carry the pack weight on the hips and not on the shoulders. Thirty pounds suspended from your shoulders will become very painful in a short time. Many military and military-style packs include a flimsy belt or, worse still, no hip suspension. Furthermore, military and military-style packs are HEAVY. The pack material is durable but heavy, and the variety of pouches, pockets, and straps, while useful for organization, add still more weight. Indeed, the most important specification of a pack intended for long distance hiking is the weight, but many military packs omit this detail entirely. A military ruck sack is typically 5-6 pounds, while a full-size pack can easily be 8 pounds, and it is very difficult to keep the total load under 20 pounds (or 25 pounds or 30 pounds) when the pack accounts for such a large proportion of the total allowable weight.

By contrast, I purchased a Mountainsmith Ghost model pack in 2003. It is a medium size pack, holding 3000 cubic inches (about 50 liters) and comfortably carrying up to 30 pounds (thanks to an excellent internal frame and very comfortable waist strap/pad) while utilizing a very durable nylon material, yet the pack weighs just 2 lbs 6 ounces. This is accomplished by a very simple bag design with a minimum of organizing options– two mesh water-bottle pockets and a very small zip bag in addition to the large main pack. While this pack is no longer made (the present Mountainsmith Ghost 50 weighs 4 pounds), it provides a blueprint for a more practical backpack for load weight conscious preppers.

The second area concerns food. An experienced lightweight backpacker would be horrified at the idea of carrying canned food, yet this is often recommended for emergency bags, despite the high weight to calories ratio. Even MREs are much heavier than alternative choices. Freeze-dried foods are expensive and contain relatively few calories, but they are very lightweight while a number of ordinary grocery food selections, such as ramen noodles, instant rice, couscous, pepperoni, and dried fruit accomplish the same thing at lower cost. In fact, since the objective is to survive for several days until another (and, presumably, a better provisioned) location is reached, it is entirely feasible to eliminate the weight of cooking gear (stove, fuel, pot, utensil, and so forth) and simply bring foods that require no preparation. Packaged protein bars or a simple plastic jar of peanuts and a box of raisins can provide needed calories at minimal weight.

The third area involves water. Though it is vital to survival, water is inherently heavy. Thankfully, water where I live is always plentiful, so that a modest amount of ready water together with the means to purify additional water reduces the amount of water I must carry in my pack. This differs in other regions, but the principle remains; water is heavy, but it is one of the most critical components of survival and must be accommodated one way or another in any emergency bag.

If you are skeptical about the premise of this article (that we should be extremely weight conscious when assembling a bug-out/get-home bag and, therefore, many of the recommendations by self-proclaimed “experts” are nonsense), there is a simple test. Just strap on that fully-loaded, 50-pound backpack (with extra weight added to simulate the effect of carrying items like weapons) and carry it 10 miles over likely terrain. If you can do so and are able to get up the next morning, capable of doing it again, then you are to be congratulated. You are clearly able to enjoy the benefits associated with having the extra provisions and gear. Many of us, however, would experience a rude awakening as to what we are actually capable of doing as opposed to our theoretical and untested assumptions.

Furthermore, this process will inform other decisions and preparations. Do you think you will bug out to the wilderness with a 20-pound pack and nothing more than your recollection of blog and video information about wilderness survival? Think again! You are far more likely to be starving in a week if you are not already dead from exposure. Instead, it may be necessary to be more careful to provision caches along the way together with a well-stocked destination rather than relying on what we can carry on our back. In any event, do not risk your life on assumed capabilities. Think and plan carefully. Then test your provision before your life depends on it.

Letter to BATF Re: Armor Piercing Ammunition Exclusion Comments

To Whom It May Concern:

It appears that much has come up regarding the legislation and regulations applied as a result of legislation relating to Armor Piercing Ammunition.

The definition of “Armor Piercing Ammunition” per 18 U.S. Code § 921(a)(17)(B), identifies two definitions:

The first definition is: “a projectile or projectile core which may be used in a handgun and which is constructed entirely (excluding the presence of traces of other substances) from one or a combination of tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or depleted uranium”

While SS109 / M855 contains steel, it does not contain any of the other materials as enumerated within the statute. Further, it is not “constructed entirely” of steel. In fact, by volume, steel is second to lead (Pb) in this round.

Unless the plain language is being interpreted some other way, this definition does not apply to SS109 / M855 ammunition.

The second definition is: “a full jacketed projectile larger than .22 caliber designed and intended for use in a handgun and whose jacket has a weight of more than 25 percent of the total weight of the projectile.”

.22 vs. .223 are different by less than the width of a human hair. As such, while the round is technically “larger than .22”, the difference is so small as to be statistically irrelevant.

Further, the round was not “designed and intended for use in a handgun”; it was designed for use in rifles (specifically, the FN Squad Automatic Weapon), and the AR Pistol (the handgun adaptation of the AR15 rifle) did not come about until long after the design of the SS109/M855 round.

While it *is* a jacketed round, the jacket does not comprise more than 25% of the projectile’s overall weight.

With all three points considered, SS109 / M855 does not meet the definition of the second criteria.

This should suffice to put an end to the issue, as the round is not subject to the the U.S. Code statutes concerning armor piercing ammunition.

When reviewing TM43-0001-27 (the latest version, released in I believe April of 1994), it clearly identifies M855 as “Ball Ammunition”.

Instead, the round designated M995 is listed as “Armor Piercing” and has the qualities as described in 18 U.S. Code § 921(a)(17)(B).

Upon review of all of the documentation released by the ATF, it appears to me that the largest concern is protection of law enforcement officials which I wholeheartedly approve of.

However, standard soft body armor for Law Enforcement tends to be 3a which is only rated for “pistol” rounds and, as previously noted, the 5.56 ss109 / m855 round is not one designed for pistol use.

If this is, in fact, your desire, then a more appropriate solution is not to try to ban the round but instead to recommend that law enforcement officers use level 3 (not to be confused with 3a) armor, which is designed to stop not only pistol but also rifle rounds.

I suspect this isn’t too likely, however, as rifles are not commonly used in the commission of a crime, including AR Pistols. This does occur, I’m sure, but it, like the difference between .22 and .223, is statistically insignificant.

Regards,

Darryl Hadfield

Economics and Investing:

Federal benefit programs to support Apple Pay . – RBS

o o o

Items from Mr. Econocobas:

Audio Interview: David Stockman: The Global Economy Has Entered The Crack-Up Phase

I May Get Out of US Stocks: Nobel-Winner Shiller

With Clock Ticking, Greece May Ask for More Time

Why The Alarms Over A Slight Rate Hike? – While we should have market set rates and not central planners to “set” rates, what is a fact is the U.S. economy cannot withstand higher interest rates, as JWR and many others have pointed out. The author clearly doesn’t understand this.