October In Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran of Gainesville Coins

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover the price action of gold and silver and examine the “what” and “why” behind those numbers.

The marketplace in October was focused on how fast the European Union economies were going down the tubes and how badly it would affect the U.S. economy. Ebola continued to dominate the news channels on TV, while a slump in oil prices squeezed oil-producing countries, from OPEC to Russia.

Gold fell to a monthly low on October 3rd of $1,191, to retest the double bottom hit in July and December of last year. After dipping more the next trading day in Asia, it recovered little by little through the month to hit a six-week high on October 21 of $1,255. Gold prices then softened into the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee, meeting on October 29, where it fell over $16 to end at $1,211/oz.

Silver had a volatile month, bouncing in a range between $17.00 and $17.70. Platinum and palladium saw any gains offset by concerns over a global economic slowdown. Both metals are used in catalytic converters for internal combustion engines, and platinum is used in the process to increase octane in gasoline at the refinery.

Precious Metals Market Drivers in October

Russian Sanctions

Economic sanctions against Russia and counter-sanctions by Russia against the West have pushed the European Union into another recession and dealt serious harm to the Russia economy. Capital flight from Russia, and a shortage of dollars and euros due to sanctions, has caused the Russian ruble to fall to all-time lows. The Russian central bank has spent over $20 billion in October trying to prevent the collapse of the ruble. These currency interventions have done little to halt the ruble’s slide, and economists are expecting Russia to stop trying to defend their currency and let the ruble float on the open market.

Russian president Vladimir Putin has cast the sanctions against his country imposed for his seizure of Crimea and support of pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine as a Western conspiracy against Russia. This has rallied public support behind the government, allowing it to weather the sanctions so far. Russians will put up with great hardship in the name of patriotism. Now, all Putin has to do is wait for winter to bring Ukraine and Europe to the bargaining table, since Russia is a major supplier of natural gas to Europe.

European Deflation

Russian sanctions have hurt the economies of the European Union, but Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal seemed determined to drag the entire European Union into deflation and recession in October. Spain, Italy, and Greece were all officially suffering deflation in September, according to reports released this month. October 16 saw a full-blown panic in the European bond market, as investors frantically dumped the sovereign debt of “the four sick men of Europe.” Greek bonds saw their yield spike 2% in just 48 hours.

Their problem stems from sharing a common currency with more fiscally responsible nations, such as Germany. This means that they are unable to devalue their currency in order to be competitive. With labor costs in Spain at €23/hr compared to €7/hr in Poland, where would you build your factory?

These deflationary pressures drove the euro currency to multi-month lows.

Stock Market Rout

The middle of the month saw investors flocking for the exits in the stock market, as fears of deflationary contagion reached the U.S., and large players exiting the junk bond market fed these fears. Crude oil prices falling into a bear market as economic growth was predicted to stall only worsened matters. Investors fled into safe havens, such as gold and U.S. Treasuries, as stocks seemed to be in a substantial downturn, but then unsubstantiated rumors about Yellen’s optimism over the economy halted the panic.

Market Corruption

A Federal Reserve official fired for insisting on prosecuting Goldman Sachs for illegal activities and market manipulation released secret tapes of her bosses at the NY Fed telling her to stop investigating Goldman Sachs, because they were afraid of repercussions. The President of the NY Fed, William Dudley, steadfastly denounced the tapes, saying that there was nothing wrong with the relationship between the NY Fed and Goldman Sachs.

Dudley was Chief Economist of Goldman Sachs for over 20 years.

Speaking of poor, innocent “too big to fail” megabanks, an October 21 report by CitiGroup estimates that fines against big banks for manipulating currency markets may total as much as $41 billion. UBS, the giant Swiss bank, turned stool pigeon on the other banks in return for having their fines reduced or eliminated.

Quantitative Easing/Fed

The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee voted to end the bond-and-toxic-mortgage buying program know as QE3 this month. This third round of quantitative easing began in September 2012 and has swollen the Fed’s balance sheet to $4.48 trillion (with a “t”) dollars. Don’t expect that to go down soon, as the Fed voted to use the proceeds from maturing securities to continue to buy more from the TBTF banks and keep the total the same. This will continue until after the first hike in benchmark interest rates.

The Fed downplayed deflationary fears in its statement and said that the labor market was improving. This sent stocks down, precious metals down, and the dollar zooming. Former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan remarked on the Fed’s plan to unwind its balance sheet in the future by saying, “I don’t think it’s possible” to do so without negatively impacting the financial markets. He also called QE a failure, noting it “hasn’t been a success on the demand side for one fundamental reason,” Greenspan said. “What you’re basically seeing is an explosion of assets, an explosion of reserve balances, and that’s the only two statistics that are moving.” The only thing QE has done is boost the stock market, while the real economy has stagnated.

On The Retail Front

Anyone who thinks no one believes in silver or gold any more isn’t paying attention. Sales of American Gold Eagle bullion coins at the U.S. Mint were almost 60,000 oz. by the last week of October. The 59,500 oz sold in October beats September’s 58,000 oz, to make this month the second strongest for Gold Eagles this year. Sales of American Silver Eagles were over 4.36 million oz. In related news, the new security features on the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf have proven so popular that the Royal Canadian Mint put silver Maple Leafs and their new .9999 10 oz silver bar on “allocation” in October. (“Allocation” is a nice word that means “rationing”.)

It isn’t just savvy individuals that are buying up precious metals. Russia bought 1.2 million ounces of gold for its reserves in October. This is 37.2 metric tons of gold bought in one month, estimated to have cost $1.5 billion. It is the largest monthly purchase of gold by Russia since they defaulted on their sovereign debt in 1998. Russian gold reserves have almost tripled since 2005, to place Russian gold reserves as the sixth largest in the world.

Even though China is importing more and more gold directly into Beijing to hide shipments from prying Western eyes, Chinese gold imports through Hong Kong jumped to a five-month high last month.

The Indian government claims that gold smuggling has tripled this year. Between April and September of last year, there were 550 gold seizures, totaling 153 crore rupees or about $25 million. (A crore is a South Asian unit of measure equal to 10 million units.) This year, over the same period, there have been 1,780 seizures of gold at India’s borders, totaling 470 crore rupees (~$76.5 million). The festival season has been good this year, as gold demand in India jumped 450% for Diwali this year.

Market Buzz

Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan was in the news this month, noting that the Chinese are right to hold gold, as fiat currencies are only backed by the issuing governments’ ability to tax.

The CEO of GoldCorp, one of the world’s largest gold miners, says that we will see peak gold next year. This isn’t someone blogging in their basement; this is one of the world’s top experts on gold mining giving this warning.

Speaking of mining, First Majestic Mining is holding back 35% of its silver production until prices rise. What would happen if more producers decided that they weren’t going to let Wall St. speculators dictate prices anymore, using paper contracts that they will never ask for deliver on?

The first poll tracking the November 30 “Save Our Swiss Gold” referendum is in, showing 45% in favor of Swiss gold repatriation and holding 20% of central bank reserves in gold. Central Bank officials say that the provision of not being allowed to sell any gold reserves turns makes it useless as an asset. If this measure is approved, watch for absolute mayhem in the gold market.

Looking Ahead

As the weather gets colder, watch for cracks to appear in the west’s resolve to continue sanctions against Russia. My personal bet is that we see Ukraine come to some sort of settlement before they all freeze to death, “encouraged” by German prime minister Merkel.

Speaking of Germany, watch for a fight between Germany, on one side, and the ECB, Greece, Italy, Spain, and France, on the other, about allowing the ECB to make outright Fed-style bond purchases. If the sanctions against Russia are lifted, the economies of the EU might recover on their own.

Wrapping up this month’s column, we find that being the willing servant of evil doesn’t always mean everything goes your way. After printing $4 trillion in money to give away to Wall St. banks, it seems that former Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke can’t get approved to refinance his house.

Steven Cochran is a Senior Content Writer for Gainsville Coins

Scot’s Product Review: Brass Stacker Products for the Mosin Nagant

I recently reviewed the Russian Mosin Nagant 91/30 bolt action rifle, and while I really like the old rifle, I did see some problems with using it in today’s world. Fortunately, there are so many of them out there these days that there is a market for improving them and some savvy folks stepping up to the chore.

The thing I really hated was the safety, but I doubt if the Russian Army ever had the same concerns that we have today about negligent discharges. While the safety is effective, it is very difficult to apply and release. You have to pull a knob on the end of the bolt back against a very powerful spring and turn it. This is so difficult that many simply ignore the safety and carry the rifle with it off, relying on the heavy trigger pull to sidestep disaster. If one is really perfect at following the “finger off the trigger” rule and branches cooperate, I suppose that that can be safe, but I, for one, am uncomfortable with milling about with a cocked, loaded, and unlocked weapon. Another option is to carry it with the bolt handle up and push the bolt down as you ready for the shot. This works, but I fret over the handle getting pushed down at the wrong time, particularly if the rifle is slung. There is also a chance the bolt could be pushed out of battery and eject your chambered round at your feet. This is a particularly clever stunt when Bambi is watching. Another approach is to leave the chamber empty and work the bolt before make the shot, but as well as slow, this is noisy; however, Bambi will be appreciative of your warning of the shot to come. One final suggestion someone made to me was to keep the bolt open, but this leaves the action open and dirt could get into it, which is less than optimal in my book.

I saw a suggestion in my research to weaken the firing pin spring, which might be acceptable, but this still leaves you with a lot of tension to overcome unless you take it past what I think is safe for positive ignition. The better plan I discovered is to attach a ring to the cocking piece. This allows you to insert your index finger and pull back and twist the safety on and off. One of the variants of this trick is made by Brass Stacker– a North Carolina, family-owned company that makes a number of useful products for an assortment of weapons here in the U.S.

Their version of the ring safety for the Mosin-Nagant runs $48 and is available in black or polished and requires no modification of the firearm. It slips over the cocking piece knob, and you use an Allen wrench to secure it. You have to get it quite tight– something I failed to do at first. They use a brass screw to help prevent marring of the cocking piece, which is a nice touch.

This attachment makes the safety usable, which is something I couldn’t say about the stock setup, and that makes me a lot happier with the rifle. It is still stiff, but my nine-year-old can operate it, which wasn’t possible before. It does extend the length of the cocking piece by a bit more than 1 ½ inches, which I found disconcerting the first few times I shouldered the rifle. I don’t like things close to my face when I’m shooting, and I was a bit put off by this, especially on the bench, but I had no problems, so I might be a bit too touchy on this point. The safeties on many (but not all) modern rifles have better ergonomics, but this now works and does not compromise the function of the rifle.

My second issue with the Mosin Nagant is the sights. The biggest problem with my rifle is that it is about eight inches high at 100 yards, and it seems I am not alone. I’ve seen some information that indicates the Russians zeroed them at 300 meters, and if so, my ballistic software says it should be around six inches high at 100 years, so we aren’t far off. Additionally, they zeroed with the bayonet fixed, and hanging that heavy sticker at the end of the barrel has to have an effect. I haven’t been able to work up nerve to try it like that at any of the ranges I go to, so I can’t speak to what effect it really has. What I would like, however, is to be able to zero it at 200 yards. That should keep it within 2.5 inches of the aiming point from the muzzle out to 225 yards or so, which is probably farther than I would want to use it on game. While the sights have a rudimentary adjustment, it doesn’t allow you to zero it where I want without lengthening the front sight post.

The other problem with the sights is that they are iron and I like optics better. While we all need to be able to use iron sights, I think pretty much everybody can do better with a scope or red dot sight. Increasing the problem is that the Mosin Nagant’s iron sights are a long way from the best on the planet. The rear sight, with its tiny open notch, is very hard to acquire quickly. It simply can’t compare with the superb aperture sight found on the US M1 Garand.

Now that we have resolved that the Mosin Nagant needs help in the sight department and we want optics, what do we do? There are a number of alternatives. The Russians used the rifle for sniping and had several scope mounts, which today are available as reproductions. I hope to get to those at some point, but I also found modern options that merit a good look. Brass Stacker has a couple that should be able to handle most any Mosin Nagant variants.

Their mounts allow you to use the iron sights as backups, which I think is a good thing. They mount the scope forward of the receiver, which I also think is a good thing, though you have to get a scope that has enough eye relief to be mounted that far from your eye. The Brass Stacker mount has enough latitude that you can use a handgun scope, which is often called an extended eye relief scope, or an intermediate eye relief scope, which is often called a Scout scope and has less eye relief than a handgun scope.

The Scout concept, with the forward mounted scope, was popularized by Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper, USMC– a member of the NRA Board of Directors and noted educator of shooters. The basic idea is that if you move the scope forward, you can maintain far more situational awareness than if the scope is close to your eye and consuming its view. This makes it easier to keep both eyes open and scanning the rest of the world as you take aim. It works well for most of us. It requires a relatively low-powered scope that is no more than three or maybe four power, but it still gives us enough magnification to easily hit targets within reasonable distances. Since most of us really don’t have the ability to be shooting beyond 300 or 400 yards, we really don’t need as much magnification as is fashionable today to see that far. Further, if we go beyond about four power, most of us have to have a very solid rest or things become a wobbly blur. Eye relief gets fussy at high magnification, which makes the scope harder to use. All this is to say that in the real world, a four power scope can do most of what we need to do other when at a bench rest.

Getting back to the Brass Stacker mount, we find three variants. The first is their See Thru Scout Scope Mount. It is mounted to the rifle by using the included punch to tap out the pins that retain the rear sight base to the rifle and then using the supplied screws and nuts through the pin holes to attach the mount. In the event the pin holes are not aligned or have other issues, they provide a drill to clean them up. The instructions are excellent, though I would have appreciated some photos, as I am a visual sort of guy. They have some videos on their site, but I wasn’t able to find one for this specific model. I would also have appreciated torque settings for the screws that hold the mount to the rifle. I’m what could be called ham-fisted at times and having torque settings keeps me from doing harm. That said, I easily got it together without breaking anything, and it is staying together.

Despite the lack of photos and torque settings, the only glitch I encountered was when a pin flew from the rifle and landed in the tiny crack between my work bench top and the wall. I wound up having to take the bench apart to retrieve the pin. Big sigh. I wish I could blame Brass Stacker, but that wouldn’t be fair. It did amuse my wife despite the fact she attempted to portray an air of sympathy.

Once the mount was on, I fitted a two power Burris hand gun scope that I plan to review in the near future and bore sighted it at 100 yards. This, alas, didn’t get me on the paper at 75 yards at the outdoor range, where I help as an RSO. With a fit of hubris, I persisted and wasted about 20 rounds before it was time to head home. I next went to an indoor range with the spiffy motorized targets and started at 15 yards; I worked it out to 100 yards and got a satisfactory zero with far less expenditure of ammo. I was pleased to obtain better groups than I had with the iron sights using Privi Partisan soft point ammo. I got four-inch groups that were eight inches high with irons, and I got slightly less than three inches with the two power scope at the desired point of impact. That is acceptable hunting accuracy, and I was pretty happy. A better shooter might do better, and from a bench, more power would be nice, too.

Brass Stacker also sells what it essentially the same mount but one intended for the carbine variants of the Mosin Nagant.

Brass Stacker warns that due to the production variances during the 50 some years the rifle was made, you might hit a rifle that the Scout mount will not work on, but they will refund your purchase price as long as the mount isn’t damaged. To deal with this, Brass Stacker makes their universal mount. This one is designed to work on most variants of the Mosin Nagant, from carbine to rifle to Finnish, Russian, or Chinese. Besides the variations, sometimes the pins that hold the front sight base on the rifle have been soldered on, which makes it really hard to get them out without using heat. Heating rifles makes many of us uneasy, and pounding on things hard enough to break silver solder probably makes the rest of us cringe. The universal mount avoids that by using what Brass Stacker calls their anchor point system, which replaces the recoil lug bolt and the pin that holds on the rear sight blade with fittings that retain their mount. These pins and bolts usually are not soldered. To install it, you use the included tools to remove the recoil lug bolt and tap out pin that holds the rear sight leaf. You then use the parts from the kit to hold the mount and rear sight blade in place.

I did not try this mount, despite having a sample in hand. We are trying to get in a hog trip, and my son REALLY wants to use the Mosin Nagant. That cut down on the amount of experimenting time I had. Since I had good results with the first mount, it was really hard to make myself take it off and try something else. Why tamper with success? I think, however, that this mount will work as well or better than the Scout Scope mounts. It looks like a more solid mounting system. The major advantage I see with the Scout Scope mount is that you can mount a scope further forward– something that helped with using the handgun scope I had. On the other hand, I think the universal mount might be a bit more solid than the Scout version, thanks to mounting on the recoil lug. All this is moot, as I think either mount is solid enough to maintain a good zero.

One of the advantages of these mounts, over the reproduction mounts that place the scope over the receiver, is that they work with the issue bolt handle. When you move the scope over the receiver, you have to find a bent handle. Thankfully, the Mosin Nagant bolt handle can be replaced without affecting the rest of the bolt, but it is still a bother to do so. You can also use stripper clips if that appeals to you, which can’t be done if you mount the scope over the receiver.

Both style mounts are made of 3/32 inch thick steel and laser cut to shape. Lightning cuts are made to keep the weight down, and the mounts are then pressed into shape and given a black oxide finish. The various bits needed to attach it to the rifle are installed and a Picatinny rail is fastened to the top.

The Scout Mount for the 91/30 rifle runs $59.00 and the one for the carbines is $63.00. The Universal Mount goes for $98.00.

The only disadvantage I found with these mounts is that they place the scope rather high, so it is hard to get a comfortable cheek weld. Brass Stacker has a solution, however, in the Rick Lowe Ammo Carrier. This is a nicely made leather ammo carrier that attaches to the butt of the rifle. It has loop holders for five rounds of ammunition as well as a pouch for other small items which could be more ammo or spare parts. More importantly, it has a cheek rest that gets your eye high enough to see through a scope on one of the Brass Stacker mounts. I will admit that my original plan had involved some high density foam and gaffers tape (a low-residue product photographers use to stick stuff most anyplace), but the Brass Stacker option was far more elegant, though at $95, a bit pricier. It is available in both left and right hand versions. I did have trouble tightening it enough to keep it from sliding on the Mosin Nagant’s a straight stock, but it has openings for the Russian sling that mounts through the stock. If you use this sling, it will hold the carrier in place. Lacking the sling, you can tie some of the cord that secures the carrier through the hole or use a short leather or web strap to prevent the slippage.

One of the advantages of all this Brass Stacker stuff is that it doesn’t require permanent alteration of the rifle, as long as you remember where you left the original parts. This might be a problem for the memory deprived among us, but I do like the option of going back to original.

Brass Stacker has a couple of other parts that look like fun, even though I didn’t see them in person. You often get a bayonet with your Mosin Nagant, and they give you a way to use it. Their Brass Stacker Model BA-S-BO Bayonet Adapter allows you to mount the bayonet onto a piece of ¾ inch steel conduit, fashioning a rather nifty spear. They suggest using if for hog hunting, but I haven’t told my son about that. I don’t want to put any more ideas into his almost 10-year-old mind.

In a similar vein, you can get the Brass Stacker Model MNBH Bayonet Handle with Pommel, which allows you to convert the bayonet into a short sword. They also suggest that you could use it for hog hunting, “if you’re brave enough to get that close to the hog …” Again, that’s a recommendation I’m withholding from my son.

Brass Stacker also has scope mounts for Mauser, SKS, and AK rifles and an assortment of other products for shooters. There are a number of helpful videos about their products on the website.

Mountain House Freeze Dried Beef Stew

Recently, a #10 can of Mountain House Beef Stew emerged from behind something that was dated 1979. I was curious about what it might be like, so out came the can opener. I don’t recall ever eating any of this vintage stew, but if I had, I’m sure I have forgotten what it was like. Regardless, what came out of the can was just fine. I have no means of measuring the nutritional value and can’t speak to that, but the taste was comparable to fresh products. The carrots were not as bright in color as I suspect they might have been when the can was new. The can spent most of its life stored in air conditioning, but I know it spent about five years in the garage in a warm climate. I found all of this reassuring, as it relates to our prepping food, and I thought you might too. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor, Scot Frank Erie

Recipe of the Week: Egg Foo “Yummy”, by L.H.

Our then-5-year-old son renamed this dish over 25 years ago, and the name stuck. We cannot call it anything else anymore. It’s a simple recipe, perfect for a “meatless Monday”, easy to throw together, and easy to have the ingredients on hand. I serve it with some fresh or canned fruit and call it supper.

Ingredients:

Note: These sauce ingredients are 1/2 of what was called for in the original recipe I copied. We find the sauce to be just barely enough, but I only have to buy one can of the [expensive, these days] prepared soup, which makes it much more thrifty. Your family may require the doubling of the sauce amounts for enjoyment.)

Sauce:

  • 1/2 of 1 (10.75 oz.) can golden mushroom soup (just eyeball it)
  • 1 tsp. bottled teriyaki sauce
  • 1/4 c. water
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. cider vinegar

Egg Patties:

  • 8 eggs
  • 1/2 of 1 (10.75 oz.) can golden mushroom soup
  • 1 c. diced celery (about 5 large ribs)
  • 1/2 c. diced green onions (about 1 bunch)
  • 1 c. bean sprouts, coarsely cut (if fresh are not available, use 1 14.5 oz. can, rinsed and drained)
  • 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
  • 2 tsp. teriyaki sauce
  • dash of garlic powder, and
  • sprinkle of salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Place all sauce ingredients into small saucepan, whisk together, heat for a couple of minutes over medium heat; reduce heat to lowest and ignore.
  2. In mixing bowl whisk eggs, then stir in the rest of ingredients.
  3. Heat 1/8″ or so oil in large skillet to quite hot over medium-high heat, then pour a scant 1/4 c. egg mixture per patty into skillet. (Three patties per skillet-full is about right.) You will probably have a mound of veggies in the center of each patty, but use your spatula to pull them around to the edges of it so it is uniform.
  4. Fry 3-4 minutes until patties are firm and very brown at the edges, then flip and cook other side 2-3 minutes. (If patties try to fall apart when you want to flip them, they’re not done enough. Cook a little longer. You are looking for very brown and firm.)
  5. Remove to plate and place in a low (225 degrees) oven to stay warm.
  6. Repeat process until all egg mixture is fried, adding more oil if needed. Whisk sauce again before placing in serving bowl.
  7. Pour sauce over patties for serving.

Will make about 10 egg foo yung patties.

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

Letter Re: Feeding Farm Animals

Thank you for the article on kids feeding farm animals. It certainly can be dangerous around the farm or ranch. It can even be deadly. But your comments on acclimating kids to handle these chores is spot on. I am 68. When I was 10 or 11, I was tormented by three geese at a neighboring farm. My older brother kept a horse there, and so I was there frequently to help care for it. I had to figure out on my own how to handle those geese. I had to do so out of sight of the owner, who believed those birds to be her babies. Eventually, I hustled up some nerve and kept them at bay with a long stick in the one place that the lady of the farm couldn’t see me. I did not strike the geese, but the stick kept them at bay, and they finally gave up trying to nip me. I never had any trouble with them again, once I showed them I would stand my ground. The reason I mention this is because this was a life-changing moment for me. In reality, the experience became a basis for getting me through the tough spots in life. You have to be cautious and clever in working around animals. In any farm chore you have to figure out the best way of doing things in order to achieve the most worthwhile result. I know people who have been maimed or killed on a farm or ranch, but I know a lot more folks who have died out on the highway. There are many rewards of working on a farm. Incidentally, our parents sold the horse because the horse kept nipping at my brother and would step on his toes at every opportunity. The horse had tried those same tricks with me. However, I slapped the horse in the mouth about twice and it stopped biting at me. When it was trying to stand on my feet, I just pushed it away. By the time he was sent away, the horse and I were pals. As you can imagine, I thought it was unfair. Hey, that’s life. S in KS

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Dear HJL,

I enjoyed, for the most part, the article on kids earning their keep, and the question was asked on how to deal with kids and butchering livestock/poultry. My young niece usually stays the summer with us on the farm. We raised chickens for meat and eggs this year, and she was involved in every step of the process. She helped pick out the day old chicks at the feed store, and she had to read up on chicken care. She cleaned cages and watered the birds every day. It was explained from the first day that the meat birds would be butchered while she was at the farm and they would be dinner. She decided to give them names like “Dumpling”, “The Colonel” (as in Colonel Sanders), “Tender”, and “Nugget”. When it was close to slaughter time, I explained again the birds’ purpose and we rounded them up and put them in a separate pen. On the day of the deed, we watched a few videos on youtube, so she would be familiar with the process. Reading about it is different than actually seeing it, and it helped that the videos were straight forward about the process. After we set up the processing station, I asked if she thought she had done a good job taking care of the birds. She said she had. I asked if they had had a good life for a chicken. She said, “Yes.” I told her she was an excellent “Chicken Girl” and now it was time to say goodbye and let the chickens take care of us by providing delicious meals for our family. I told it her was okay to cry a little because we were taking a life, but the life we took was to help us live. A few sniffles later, she caught a bird and helped hold it while I ran the axe. She turned out to be a really good plucker, but she wasn’t much for evisceration. I was very proud of her. She was a great help. She wants more meat birds next year, and she likes fresh, fried chicken livers.

I hope this helps someone else out, and good luck. – Sven

Economics and Investing:

NEWSFLASH: The Fed Isn’t Stopping QE!

JWR’s Comment: I told you so.

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The oxymoron of the labor force when labor means not working: 92 million Americans are not in the labor force with 12 million of those being added only in the last 4 years.

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These Poor 3Q Earnings Reports Foretell 2015’s Economy

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Kim Kardashian and Fiat Money Have The Same Intrinsic Value

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China Filling Strategic Reserve With Cheap Oil

Odds ‘n Sods:

S.W. Florida Bomb Shelter, interesting look back. – JRN

It may be a look back, but it still sounds interesting to me for future use…

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By way of Infowars.com: Bundy Family Treated as Terror Suspects by TSA

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Sipsey Street Irregulars: There will be raids. – B.B.

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More reasons to home school: Allah in the Classroom — the ABC’s of Forced Conversion. – B.B.

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‘Entire villages disappeared’: Ebola deaths in Sierra Leone ‘underreported’ – K.D.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“For libertarians, freedom entails the right of people to live their lives any way they choose, so long as their conduct is peaceful. For conservatives, freedom entails the right of government to do just about anything it wants, even if its conduct is violent.” – Jacob Hornberger

Notes for Sunday – November 02, 2014

Just a reminder about SurvivalBlog’s Contest: If you have submitted an article and it did not win one of the top three prizes, you can still submit another article to the contest this year, even if you won an honorable mention. If you submitted and won one of the top three prizes over a year ago, you can submit again and be eligible now. If you have been putting it off, get busy and get that article in. Who knows, you could be one of the winners of over $12,000 worth of prizes.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 55 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 hardcase 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 1 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 Warehouseis providing 30 DMPS AR-15 .223/5.56 30 Round Gray Mil Spec w/ Magpul Follower Magazines (a value of $448.95) 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 $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  7. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 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.
  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. RepackBoxis 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. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208, and
  7. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.
  9. Montie Gearis donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack. (a $379 value).

Round 55 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Taking Care of Your Feet When the SHTF, by J.C.

One January when I was a Boy Scout, my troop and I went camping in Missouri to participate in an event known as “Trappers’ Rendezvous,” an annual gathering of around 6,000 Boy Scouts to trade (almost) anything, from folding knives and rabbit pelts to books and video games. This was an experience I’m very grateful to have had, as I learned not only a lot about bartering (something every serious survivalist should learn) but also a lot about caring for my extremities in cold weather. The thing about Missouri in the winter is…it’s cold! Now that I live in Colorado, I laugh at myself for thinking -6 degrees Fahrenheit at night is bad. (Where I live it gets down to -17 at night in January.) However, back then that was the coldest weather I’d camped in. That weekend our campsite was covered in several inches of snow and I (contrary to the Boy Scout motto) was not prepared for it. I had enough layers––long underwear, a couple of breathable shirts, a jacket, and a heavy coat––but for footwear I only had a pair of canvas hiking shoes that were water resistant but, as anyone who has gone hiking in water-resistant shoes or boots already knows, they were not waterproof. Water resistant pretty much means that if you step in a puddle and quickly step out of it your shoes won’t be completely soaked.

In addition to being unprepared in regards to footwear, I had only one pair of thin, acrylic gloves that I had bought from Walmart for a few dollars. Acrylic is not a bad material. (It’s actually pretty comfortable, and it’s great for spring hiking and camping.) However, for winter camping, something a bit more heavy duty, like mittens or two pair of gloves (a thin inner pair and a thick, polyester or neoprene outer pair, if you decide to wear gloves) is ideal.

After setting up camp that night, my hands and feet were, understandably, quite cold. Luckily, I had on wool socks, so I guess I did do something right. That night, I climbed into my mummy bag, shivering, and tried to go to sleep. My feet were, as one might expect, frozen. I had packed a few hand warmers (air- or shake-activated packets which produce heat), so I dropped one in each of my socks and, within a few minutes, my feet had regained feeling and warmed up to a comfortable temperature. The next morning my feet and hands were cold again, so I used two more pairs of hand warmers––one in each sock and one in each glove––to get me through the morning. Anyone who has been camping in the winter knows that you’re coldest in the morning when the sun has not risen yet; your hands and feet are stiff and numb. You haven’t eaten yet, so your body is burning fewer calories than usual, resulting in a lower amount of heat production, and your sweat has frozen to your hair during the night. If I haven’t made myself clear, I highly recommend that you keep hand warmers in your bug out bag. They’re small, lightweight, and a lifesaver when your hands and feet are numb and you need feeling in them fast.

By Sunday I was out of hand warmers, and my shoes and socks were drenched. We had loaded up our trailers with our gear, including my duffle bag, which contained my only dry pair of socks. Being the twelve-year-old boy that I was, I didn’t ask for help, thinking that asking for help would somehow be a “weak” thing to do. Frankly, this was really stupid of me. If you need help and have the ability to get it, by all means get help! There was no point in putting myself in danger when I could have easily asked for a dry pair of socks from one of the scoutmasters.

My feet became increasingly colder until I felt a very strong burning sensation. Based on my knowledge of frostbite, I had the feeling that if I didn’t get somewhere warm ASAP I was going to lose my toes. Instead of asking for help though, I (foolishly) decided to wait the few hours until we left camp. This brings me to another very important principle to remember: Do everything you can to insure your survival; don’t wait on others to help you. For me that would’ve been as simple as asking to go inside one of the cars to warm my feet up. In a SHTF scenario, that usually means relying on your skills and supplies instead of waiting for FEMA or the National Guard to assist you. If help comes, great, but don’t count on it. If you have to wait on someone else to save you, you’re as good as dead.

To conclude my story, after we left camp my feet regained their feeling in the heated car. I hope none of you ever get into that situation, but if you do remember to quickly remove your socks and shoes; if you don’t already have frostbite, warm your feet up. Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes and take the following precautions to protect your feet in a SHTF scenario.

1. Keep Your Feet Clean and Dry

This one’s pretty obvious. If you’ve ever picked up a book on hiking or camping, you’ve probably run into a paragraph or two on keeping your feet dry. It seems pretty simple to do––just don’t step in any water, right? Well, not exactly. Your feet are more likely to get wet from your own sweat– something you’ll be producing a lot of if you’re hiking much– which is quite probable if it’s TEOTWAWKI. Sadly, there’s nothing you can do to keep your feet from sweating. However, you can keep the sweat your feet produce from sticking to your skin (something you definitely don’t want, as wet feet are much more likely to get frostbite and form blisters). You should wear wicking fabrics that “wick away the perspiration from your body to the outer layer of the fabric where it can easily evaporate, helping you to stay dry and comfortable.”1 For socks, the best wicking fabric is merino wool, which you can buy from any Army Surplus or camping store.

That’s great that wool socks wick away your sweat, but how do you keep water from the outside (like rain and snow) from getting your feet wet? Your best option is to buy waterproof boots. Just remember that “waterproof footwear will keep the moisture out as long as the water doesn’t spill over the top edge,”2 so your feet will still get wet if you decide to go wading through water that is over your boots. Another option is to use leather boots that have been treated with moisture repellent. In addition to that, you could use waterproof boot covers, which are kind of like ponchos for your hiking boots.

If you find yourself in a situation like the one I was in, where you are unprepared for the elements, you can always improvise. One thing that I’ve done to keep my feet dry is wear plastic bags over my socks. The down side to this is it tends to make your feet sweat more, but if you’re wearing wool socks this shouldn’t make too big of a difference. You could also make your own boot covers out of a couple of trash bags; just be sure to cut a place for the sole of your shoe or boot to stick out to retain the grip of your footwear.

It’s equally important to keep your feet clean. Wash them at least once a day and remember to properly trim your toenails. You do not want to have an ingrown toenail during TEOTWAWKI!

2. Carry Extra Socks

Socks get wet. It just happens. That’s why it’s necessary to have several pairs of socks that you can change into throughout the day. Don’t wait for your current pair to become drenched in sweat; change your socks frequently and be sure to wash the dirt and grime out of your used pairs. Store all of your socks in ziplock bags (or other waterproof bags) and keep an extra pair of socks with you (in a coat pocket or in a day bag) so that, if you’re separated from your gear, you won’t lack clean socks.

At night, if you’re camping, throw your wet socks in the bottom of your sleeping bag. Your body heat will dry them out by morning.

3. Wear a Pair of Boots That Fit

Besides wearing footwear that will keep water out, you should make sure that your boots are well-fitted to your feet. There are a lot of factors to take into account when buying hiking boots (i.e., climate and terrain of the area where you’ll be hiking), so here are just a few essentials to consider:

  • Are these boots too wide? If they are too wide, your feet will move around inside of them, which can cause blisters to form.
  • Are these too narrow? If they are too narrow, your feet may become cramped and circulation could be cut off.
  • Where is your toe relative to the boot. If your toe is too close to the tip of the boot, it will rub against it when you’re walking down hill, which I can tell you from experience is not the most pleasant feeling. Also make sure your toe isn’t too far from the tip of the boot, as this will cause your foot to shift uncomfortably inside the boot, also causing blisters to form.

There isn’t any “one-size-fits-all” formula for finding the right pair of hiking boots, so the best way to discover what works for you is to go to your nearest outdoors store and try walking around in several pairs. If you don’t like it in the store, you won’t like it when the SHTF and you have to hike 25 miles to get to your bug out location. Buy a pair of boots that work for you and remember to break them in. Don’t put your boots on the shelf until you need them. Use them now. They won’t do you any good if they’re too stiff to use when the time comes.

Recommendations

Below is a list of inexpensive clothing and gear that I recommend you add to your bug out bag:

  • Several pairs of merino wool socks (at least 4 pairs).
  • Hand warmers. (Six pair should be enough for a couple of days, but you may want more depending on how long it will take you to get to your bug out location). Make sure they last at least 10 hours.
  • Trash bags, ziplock bags, ponchos, and other material that can be used to waterproof your boots, should the need arise.
  • Optional: Buy a pair of waterproof boots if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow during the winter.

Conclusion

I’ve found that it’s more fun to read or write about guns or turning your home into an impenetrable fortress than it is to write about taking care of your feet, but sometimes it’s necessary to discuss the little things (like carrying an extra pair of socks) that can make the difference between life and death. Most beginning preppers want to get right to the “fun” stuff– guns, hunting, building a bug out location, et cetera–, but, as any experienced survivalist will tell you, it’s more important to learn how to start a fire or use a knife properly than it is to learn how to fight off an army of gang members. If you don’t know the basics (how to filter water, for instance), it doesn’t matter how many guns you have, you’ll die. I encourage you to examine your preps and make sure you’re well-rounded in each area of preparedness. Remember, it’s the little things that will kill you if you let them, so don’t let them.

Letter Re: Requesting Advice for a Recent College Graduate

Hi HJL,

I need some advice on what I should do next, and I am sure that many of the young college graduates who are reading your site are in a similar predicament. Here is the back story. I graduated from a university with about 80K in student loans– 52K in state and 28K in federal. I was very blessed to get a great job out of college working for my alma mater as a researcher making about 47K (pretax). I live at home and commute to work (1.5 hours each way), and now I am going back to graduate school for almost free. The federal loans are deferred and I am making the minimum payments. I am also trying to actively build my supply stockpile. My aim is to have a minimum of 6 months worth of supplies of basic food, ammo, medical supplies, and some comm equipment. I know that having such high financial liabilities is terrible, but I also know that I need to have some supplies for the coming crisis that will certainly occur.

I have four options for the road ahead, as far as I can tell.

  • Option 1: Divert all funds to my loans and get them paid off ASAP.
  • Option 2: Make the minimum payments and focus on supplies.
  • Option 3: Pay off my Federal immediately, then build supplies as I make minimum payments on my state loan.
  • Option 4: Get to the 6-month threshold and then attack my debt (federal first, then state) with all available funds.

I think (and here is where I would like some guidance) that Option 4 is the right path and is my current choice, but what do you think? Do you put a higher value on getting supplies first or financial freedom? Is there another option I have yet to think of? Thanks for any and all advice.

Respectfully, Patriot in Occupied NJ

P.S. And of course knowledge is free, so I have gotten many of the suggested books and plan to start reading through them in and around my graduate studies.

Hugh Replies: The college debt bubble is one of the largest and most damaging debt bubbles on the horizon. While it’s too late for your situation, others may learn from your situation. I highly recommend several resources for folks who are thinking about debt as an option to fund education:

These three resources give you a plethora of information about how the college system is financially rigged as a money maker for universities and how they enslave young people who might otherwise have avoided the debt/slave paradigm that has a stranglehold on the world at the moment. Having spent a good portion of my career as a high school teacher of Physics, I saw first hand how the “god” of higher education was pushed upon all students. I personally hold two engineering undergraduate degrees, one masters degree, and a number of “certificates” from extensive schooling. I did get caught up in the debt tangle and spent many years untangling myself. However, in all that time, in all the positions I have held, not once did anyone ever look at one of my transcripts or degrees (except for the FBI in their background checks, but that is another story) and not one job has ever been dependent on anything other than what I learned on my own.

For those who are considering college, know that nobody cares where most of your schooling occurs. The prestige is based upon where you graduated from. Take as many credits as you can at a local community college, CLEP test out of anything you can, transfer into the school of your choice as late as possible, and if nothing else, avoid the debt at all cost. If you are not sure what you want out of college, the answer is simple– don’t go! Don’t spend the money, at least not until you have a clue what you want out of it.

As you have realized, that $80,000 of debt is like a millstone around your neck while you are trying to swim. You will not be able to discharge it either. I think you answered your own question best: Get out of that debt as quickly as possible! You can still prep on a smaller scale, but I would put the bulk of my resources in eliminating the school loan debt.

Economics and Investing:

It Will Take 6.25 BILLION “Man Years” To Pay Off Federal Government Liabilities: “A Mathematical Impossibility”. – B.B.

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4 Basic Truths to Help You Navigate the Financial News

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World War I ended 96 years ago but Britain is just starting to pay off its debt . – G.P.

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The Wrath of Draghi: First German Bank Hits Savers with Negative Interest Rate . – CJB

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Chicago Bank Largest to Fail in 2014. – G.G.

Odds ‘n Sods:

An interesting look at Ebola: Math Just Is. – K.H.

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SurvivalBlog’s Field Gear Editor, Scot Eire, is curious if any readers have had a time-keeping device like this Dipleidoscope. If you are aware of this product or a similar product, shoot us an email.

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What a surprise: State of Maine Document Reports Kaci Hickoxâs Roommate in Africa Developed Ebola. – T.P.

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Another reason I don’t use smart phones: Somebody’s Already Using Verizon’s ID to Track Users. – G.G.

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For those following the Sharyl Attkisson ordeal, a video has now been released showing the computer being activated and used by “unknowns” to delete information.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” – Luke 2:29-32 (KJV)

Notes for Saturday – November 01, 2014

November 1st, 1923, was the birthday of science fiction writer Gordon R. Dickson (born 1923, died January 31, 2001). Many of his novels and short stories, such as Wolf and Iron, have survivalist themes. November 1st is also the birthday of economist Martin A. Armstrong. For many years he was a prisoner of conscience, in part because he refused to turn over his proprietary trading algorithms to Federal prosecutors. After seven years in prison without a trial, the longest Federal incarceration for contempt in American history, Armstrong was finally put on trial in a proceeding that was branded as a sham. He was convicted on securities fraud charges based upon some marginal testimony and given a five year sentence. He was released from prison in September of 2011. Notably, Armstrong continued to write his economics newsletter while in prison, producing most of the issues on a prison library typewriter.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 55 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 hardcase 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 1 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 Warehouseis providing 30 DMPS AR-15 .223/5.56 30 Round Gray Mil Spec w/ Magpul Follower Magazines (a value of $448.95) 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 $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  7. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 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.
  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. RepackBoxis 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. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208, and
  7. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.
  9. Montie Gearis donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack. (a $379 value).

Round 55 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Slimming Down, by Dan from Alaska

No, this is not an article on weight loss, though it should be; I need to take off a bunch of pounds. It’s more about how I readjusted my lifestyle and budget after a loss of a paycheck. Both my wife and I have been working steadily since our teens, and I consider us to not be rich, per se, but in the comfortably middle class. We have been married for the past 10 years, and we both met each other at work. That is when I first heard the moniker, DINK– Dual Income No Kids.

As I stated, we lived comfortable though it wasn’t lavish. We tried to just live off one paycheck, while the other one went into savings. We bought most items in full and tried not to get into more debt, as the mortgage is more than enough! That being said, I wasn’t out buying a new car every year or having caviar for lunch, but I was afflicted with the man disease of “if it’s sharp, shiny, or goes boom then I must have it”!

Then last year we got blessed with a baby girl. Now, by itself having a baby is a budget changer, but also having a spouse stay home and raise that baby is a different twist altogether. We made lists, rewrote budgets, prayed, and contemplated what we should do. We made the decision to have my wife stay home and raise our child instead of throwing money at a daycare. This was the best decision we have ever made, and my wife is absolutely loving her new job title of Mother!

Now comes the slimming down part. How does one cut back on a lifestyle that you are so use to? How does that effect your prepping? I did what most people probably have done many times before; I cut back on the most frivolous stuff first. I got a library card and cut out the hundreds of dollars going to Amazon for books and movies. I took more “brown bag” lunches to work, instead of going out to eat so much. Then I looked at one of my other big bills– ammo.

My current career field has me wearing a pistol, and within my career I worked my way into becoming a Firearms Instructor. So, needless to say, I shoot quite a bit. I’m a very firm believer that shooting is a perishable product; I can really see that when I compare all the people I qualify who take it seriously and practice versus the others who don’t take it serious and are just there to barely qualify in order to keep their job.

So, I crunched some numbers and figured that I shoot roughly a 1000 rounds a month through both my AR and Glock, which equates to about $600 a month. That being said, I don’t really feel that I’m practicing enough. So, a while back I purchased a SIRT pistol from Next Level Training and used it for dry fire practice at home. Pat did an excellent review of the SIRT and so I’m not going to try to elaborate more on the subject, but I want to reaffirm how the SIRT pistol and AR bolt are excellent training tools. Now that I’m looking at finances, it occurred to me that I really wasn’t using my SIRT pistol to its fullest potential. This is what I did.

I came up with drills that I did on the range and incorporated them into drills in my garage with targets taped on the back of the garage door. I now have a 7 yard, 4 lane, indoor range for my SIRT pistol. Here are just some of the pistol drills I did regularly on the range:

  • Hammer drill: Two rounds to center mass from the holster, scan for threats, reholster.
  • Body Armor drill: Two rounds to center mass, one to the head/pelvis from the holster, scan for threats, reholster.
  • Combat Reload drill: Load two rounds in all magazines, shoot one magazine until empty, reload pistol with fresh magazine focusing on techniques (elbows down, drop empty magazine with strong hand while support hand retrieves fresh magazine, keep pistol in your center line low, while keeping constant eye contact with threat, feed fresh magazine into mag well by indexing finger on front side of magazine, drop slide, reengage threat). On last magazine scan for threats, reholster.
  • Tactical Reload drill: Same as Combat Reloads except you retrieve fresh magazine first, drop a partially used magazine into support hand while loading fresh magazine into the pistol, put partial magazine in pocket (or dump pouch), reengage threat. (The thought behind this is that you may need partial magazine for the future, and Tactical Reloads are used during a lull in fight.)
  • Cover/Concealment drill: Move to cover/concealment and engage threat with two rounds standing along the strongside of cover/concealment and two rounds kneeling along the strong side of cover/concealment, scan for threats, reholster. Repeat same drill but utilizing support side of cover/concealment.

These were the core drills I would do, adding a few others when I can due to my limitations of using a public range. It seems that the old days of going down a forest service road and shooting at the old gravel pit are long gone. So, a lot of dynamic drills of moving and shooting, engaging from the ground, and shooting around awkward covers are not allowed on my range. These core drills I did on the range easily translated over to the SIRT, with some exceptions, like the SIRT pistol slide can’t be manipulated.

If you look at my core drills, you may see a pattern. I believe it was Clint Smith that said, “If you’re not shooting, you should be loading. If you’re not loading, you should be moving.” That has stuck with me, and I try to ingrain it into my training. Now, here is where I think the SIRT pistol shines. You can do these drills and more, without having local range limitations and safety issues. Speaking of safety, make sure all other weapons and ammo are locked up or inaccessible. You don’t want to pick up a live weapon when you are doing dry firing exercises in the house. Also, if you set up a “back yard range”, make sure to know who is watching. I’m lucky that I don’t live in an urban environment, where everyone can see my backyard. Just imagine what your neighbor would think, seeing you in your full battle rattle, running around your house like a Tier One Operator at Osama’s compound. You might end up meeting your local SWAT team in their full battle rattle!

Now that I have a pistol that fires just a laser, my training has expanded throughout the house and more. It’s not just a dry fire tool, it’s an active shooter trainer. I’m sure lots of people have thought of what they would do if someone was in the house. Well, with the SIRT you can! Have your spouse set up a target somewhere in the house and practice clearing room by room. Get intimately familiar with your home; it is where you spend most of your time, so you should know how to defend it. How would you react if, while you are sitting in your lazyboy watching football, someone kicks in your front door? Where is your weapon at? How do you approach the door? Where are your cover and/or concealment locations?

I’ve also added the SIRT AR bolt to my collection, and the nice part is that you get to use your own personal AR. It’s a drop in bolt that not only shoots a laser out your bore but auto resets your trigger. So, again not only am I using this as a dry fire trainer but also in active shooter drills. Putting this all together with two different components, you get to train with your rifle and incorporate pistol transitions. Again with my previous limitations, I couldn’t shoot my AR and do pistol transitions on the range.

I’ve just scratched the possibilities of what you can do with the SIRT line of products. During my lifetime I have always kept my eyes and ears open to new things to learn. I love going to YouTube and seeing if any good training ideas come up. One interesting trick came from the CEO of Next Level Training and inventor of the SIRT, Mike Hughes. On his video he talks about using the SIRT pistol and confirming your correct form by videotaping yourself. How about taking this a step further, setup your camera, iPhone, or whatever you have next to your target and see how you react or expose yourself while engaging it during your house clearing drills.

SIRT products are an awesome set of training tools, but they are not a replacement for live fire practice. Even Mike Hughes will mention this on his videos and website, be sure to look at his Next Level Training website and his videos on YouTube. He has lots of great training info for both civilians and police. I still go out a couple times a month to get in live fire time, but this had an affect on my budget. I saved about $400 to $500 a month, with an investment of about $600 in the SIRT products I purchased. The best part is that I have increased my training at least by ten fold.