Notes for Monday – June 09, 2014

Both www.shottist.com and www.andysleather.com are offering 10% off for SurvivalBlog readers until the end of the year. Use the code: “survivalblog14” during checkout on the web sites to get your discount.

Book Review: The End of the Age

Book Title: The End of the Age

Author: Pat Robertson

Copyright Date: 1995

Publisher: Word Publishing

ISBN: 0-8499-1290-3

Amazon Link: The End of the Age

Audio, e-book or foreign translation available: Audio and Kindle available

Suitable for children; probably okay for Jr. High and up.

This book was personally handed to me with a “You should read this” admonition, which came from someone who knows me well and whose advice I respect. A cursory scan showed that it had promise, so into the queue it went. I will tell you now that no sooner had I finished this book than a second book of remarkably similar flavor showed up. Consequently, this will be a three part review, consisting of a look at each book on its own and then a comparison. I will leave it to HJL to decide how he would like to present the three parts.

Having been published almost twenty years ago, this is not a new arrival on the scene. If anything, it has likely been skipped over and lost in the vast array of material available. It certainly pre-dates SurvivalBlog. It shows its age in a few regards. I found the airport scene with folks all lined up, waiting to use the pay phones, a most telling measure of how well we can envision our own future twenty years out.

That is not to say that this book lacks merit. There are two things that it does exceptionally well. For one, it shows how a single, disastrous event can snowball into a series of disastrous events, and for another, it does a remarkably good job of tying together a number of biblical prophecies into a scientifically-feasible future, made all the more worth reading on account of a geologic record suggesting this has happened here before.

As one would expect from Pat Robertson, the book is free from profanity and sex scenes. The misbehavior of society is discussed and referred to but not shown in vivid color. While I wouldn’t want to burden a young child with these worries about the future, this book may be appropriate by the age of twelve or so, depending on the child and their maturity level.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Our two main characters are Carl and Lori Throneberry. He is a very highly-paid, advertising account executive; she is an interior designer. Their lives in Laguna Niguel are turned upside down when a meteor strike is suddenly announced, while they are on their way to the airport for a brief retreat from the Southern California heat. The world immediately descends into chaos, but they manage to get close enough to the airport to be able to jog the rest of the way and make their flight, just in time for its early departure.

Once off the plane in Albuquerque, the Throneberrys catch the president’s speech in which he explains the imminent disaster and the fact that the government has not prepared for such a disaster. Having vetoed the funds for the development of a missile system to counter such a threat, having kept this meteor a secret out of fear that announcing it would generate a sense of panic, and out of hope that it would not be caught in the earth’s gravitational field, the president goes on to explain that at this point there is nothing that can be done to evacuate the west coast. Millions will die. Ashamed of his own political cowardice, the president draws a 9mm pistol and commits suicide in front of the nation.

Thus, the natural world and the political world suddenly go into an upheaval, and each problem leads to another problem.

Carl and Lori, who do not believe in the Bible, find themselves taken in by a man who is a believer and who is well prepared for the end of the world. He explains to the Throneberrys how a meteorite strike could be the start of what is prophesied in chapters 8 and 9 of the book of The Revelation in The Bible. He even explains how “wormwood” could be a reference to radiation fallout from nuclear reactor meltdowns, such as happened at Chernobyl, which can be translated “wormwood”. From an ocean impact to a tidal wave to earthquakes to nuclear reactor meltdowns to volcanic ash to global famine, the entire picture works both from a biblical prophecy perspective and from a scientific perspective. The credibility factor is pretty high.

On the political front, the Vice President is little more than a good-looking actor with an alcohol problem. He has been smart enough to surround himself with capable support staff, but he lacks the character to deal with the challenges involved in a national disaster. Taking the job of President, within hours, he has made a fool of himself and fired his critically important chief of staff. While sleeping off his drunken stupor, his opportunistic wife arranges for one of her people to fill the shoes of the chief of staff and thus begins an evil political coup. And I mean evil. It is the anti-Christ who ends up running the show.

I won’t spoil the entire novel, but I will say that Carl and Lori become believers. Carl uses his experience in advertising in his new role as part of an underground Christian resistance network. There are several sub-plots to add drama to the story line, and it all ends up as prophesied. I have no qualms about recommending this book as a good and instructive read. I know many Christians have a different interpretation of the end times, largely revolving around the idea that Christians are “not intended for the wrath to come”, but I would suggest that there may be a distinction between the end of the world and hell. I suspect most readers of this blog are prepared for both and will appreciate this book.

— Harry, SurvivalBlog Book Reviewer

Book Review: Fury of the Fifth Angel

Book Title: Fury of the Fifth Angel

Author: Pat & Chris Hoffman

Copyright Date: 2013

Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-4575-2429-5

Amazon Link: Fury of the Fifth Angel

Audio, e-book or foreign translation available: Kindle available

Suitable for children: No.

I had just finished reading The End of the Age when Fury of the Fifth Angel arrived in my mailbox. I hadn’t even gotten started on writing my review of “The End of the Age”. Given the title and the subject matter, I knew I was going to have to bump Fury of the Fifth Angel up to the top of the queue. It didn’t hurt that from the get-go this one is an attention grabber.

This novel has not just one major meteorite strike the Earth but rather a series of meteorites, as Earth passes through a previously unknown meteorite stream. Initially these are small meteorites and do relatively little damage, but they are enough to create a public panic. The government is doing everything in its power to keep this news under wraps until scientists can determine how much of a risk the Earth faces and until preparations can be put in place to maintain civil order.

One of the main characters, John Halloran, is an east coast power grid operator, and another, Devon Grant, is a solar technician at the Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado. John is a customer of Devon’s, because the electrical grid can be affected by such things as solar flares. Dialog revolving around the two of them affords opportunity for educational discussions about our vulnerabilities to solar activity and the fragility of the electric grids, upon which we are so dependent. The authors make excellent use of those opportunities.

The novel has more sub-plots than I could gracefully keep track of. Some of these came and went, while others were eventually tied in with the main plot. While a bit challenging to keep track of, all of these were useful for illustrating the various ways in which society is likely to react to a major upheaval. The authors worked in an impressive array of character types by means of these tangents. They have everything from the career con-man to gangsters to the sociopath to the mentally deranged at one end, and from the old ladies’ bridge club to the pediatrician to the barista to truck drivers at the other end.

The political picture is an interesting one. The reasons for keeping the public in the dark about their impending destruction are well developed. There is everything from pride to the fear of fallout from having cut the budgets of the programs that would have offered a means of coping with the problem. There is also the drama of one person, who takes their job seriously and does it well in spite of the wishes of the rest. While unpopular, those actions end up validated.

However, I must state, this novel definitely falls in the “rated R” category. The majority of the characters in this book seem to have all the sexual inhibitions of rabbits. I found myself wondering if the authors didn’t simply make one list of male characters and one list of female characters and then draw lines between all of them and some of them given more than one line. I would say something on the order of ninety percent of all that sex had little or nothing to do with the development of the plot. This book could have been substantially cleaner. On the plus side, at least the pastor is left with his morality intact.

It should also be noted that this novel does not quite conclude. A sequel is planned. The key characters are left in position for what should be an exciting read about coping with the chaos.

The book is well crafted and holds the reader’s attention, but I cannot give it the recommendation I would like to. There is no justification for the cesspool morality.

— Harry, SurvivalBlog Book Reviewer

Comparison of The End of the Age and Fury of the Fifth Angel

SPOILERS AHEAD

I could not help but compare the two of these in my mind as I read Fury of the Fifth Angel, and I believe there is value in this, so here are my thoughts having read them both back to back.

The End of the Age does a better job of laying out the progression from one disaster to the next, explaining how each one sets the stage for the next one, much like falling dominoes. The argument is made even more compelling by its direct correlation to prophecy, particularly given the lack of scientific knowledge available to John the Apostle when he wrote The Revelation. That is not to say Fury of the Fifth Angel does not lay out a similar picture, but it does not work out the steps in the same level of detail.

On the Other Hand, Fury of the Fifth Angel spends more time on the subject of why we should expect to be hit by a meteorite, regardless of what The Bible says. More time is spent discussing the geologic record and what we have managed to deduce from it, plus what we are managing to learn about what is out there in space. We are sitting ducks in a shooting gallery. We have been hit before. We can expect to be hit again.

I found it particularly interesting that both books would operate on the premise that the government would keep the impending disaster a secret from the general populace. The End of the Age didn’t spend much time developing the reasons for this, but Fury of the Fifth Angel did, and in a remarkably credible manner. In fact, Fury of the Fifth Angel presented the government in the most positive light possible. (They’re honest, hard working folks who really do have the public interest at heart.) Yet, it still developed the motives and rationale behind maintaining secrecy. The most persuasive point is the consideration of how the masses are likely to behave if they know that their world is going to end within the week. The thin veneer, called civilization, peels back pretty quickly when death is imminent.

The two books present remarkably different perspectives on the government of the United States. As I just mentioned, Fury of the Fifth Angel operates on the premise that our public servants are, indeed, there trying to serve the public. There are a few bad eggs, but the majority are dutifully trying to take care of their responsibilities and do so in an honorable fashion. The End of the Age offers a more cynical view. Those who have the power are in the business of getting what they want by threatening others with the dirty laundry they could air, if they don’t get their way. Deals are made for the sake of personal ambition. The needs of the country are a distant second. And that is before the coup of evil.

In contrast to the perspectives on government are the perspectives on the population in general. In The End of the Age, destruction of all that we call civilization is a matter of divine justice, but in Fury of the Fifth Angel the premise is developed that we don’t need much of a push to achieve self-destruction. The disintegration of society requires nothing more than the loss of electricity, and that can be obtained through little more than fear. With just a few small meteorite hits causing some localized damage, the fear of what could happen if a nuclear reactor were to be affected prompts the shutting down of that portion of the electrical supply. Add to that a glitch in the natural gas fired portion, already strained to its limits trying to make up for the loss of nuclear power, and all of a sudden the grid starts to collapse. That interconnectedness isn’t such an asset in that scenario, and with the power off, those who are already on the fringes of society start to show their true colors. Fury of the Fifth Angel doesn’t stop there. The big hits do come and bring the massive, sudden devastation that one would expect, but the picture of how little it would take to get us back to acting as savages is disturbingly clear.

The End of the Age goes through the entire disaster, all the way to the point of the rapture, while Fury of the Fifth Angel only gets the reader up to the point of the first wave of devastation. I expect once the sequel is out that picture difference will balance out. There is not much prepping detail in either book, but Fury of the Fifth Angel has at least set the stage such that an education in that category could be offered. As it stands, both of these books offer insights into what our world could look like in the event of a meteorite strike. The End of the Age would be my choice given that it more thoroughly works through the scope of problems to be faced and is a much cleaner book to read.

— Harry, SurvivalBlog Book Reviewer

Scot’s product Review: Ching and Rhodesian Slings

I’m going to have to explain a few things before I can properly review today’s product, so please bear with me; I will get there!

I’ve heard slings called the rifle’s equivalent of the pistol’s holster. It’s not a bad analogy, but that only speaks to carrying the rifle. The right type of sling can also improve one’s ability to get hits with the rifle.

What most shooters use to carry the rifle is a simple strap that allows them to carry it over their shoulder. There are also the so-called tactical slings that also allow you to carry the rifle across the chest or back, but those aren’t what we are going to look at here. We are looking instead at slings that brace the rifle to the shooter and increase the steadiness with which the shooter can employ the rifle. This means better hits.

The most common sling of this sort is probably the U.S. M1907 leather sling, which was issued up through WW II and is gradually being phased out for a web carry strap. This style sling is sometimes called a loop sling for the loop it creates that wraps around the bicep. It’s the loop that provides the support that steadies up the shooter and rifle and makes shooting more accurate. Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Cooper, USMC, in his work, The Art of Rifle, notes that the sling takes the weight of the rifle off of the support arm, thus “securing that contact to the support shoulder so that the left elbow is left in its flexed position by the strap itself without any support from the biceps.”

Cooper felt, as do many competitive shooters, that this only benefits the shooter when in a position where the elbow rests on a support, such as the ground, an object, or a support leg. While I hardly have the expertise of Cooper, I feel that I do obtain some help from a sling while in the standing position. Some competitors agree with me, but note that it happens when we are in a less than perfect, offhand position. When one gets into a proper standing position, we get bone-to-bone support that makes the sling superfluous. Personally, I have trouble getting into that sort of position without spending a lot of time and energy, so perhaps that’s why I find the sling beneficial while shooting offhand.

The problem with the M1907 style sling is that it takes time to adjust and get into them. It also takes training and practice to use. If you don’t keep that practice up, you will probably fumble when you try to use it. I know I do. Colonel Cooper, a better man that I am, said it takes five seconds to get into the military sling. In my view (and the Colonel’s), five seconds is a long time, and it would be a lot better if it were less. I also hate to admit it, but it takes me longer than five seconds to get into the M1907. That’s the practice thing rearing its ugly head.

If you do want to use the M1907, I highly recommend M/SGT James R. Owens’ book Leather Sling and Shooting Positions. It appears to be out of print, so used is the only option unless you want the Kindle version.

Some folks use the so-called hasty sling. This can be done with most any sort of strap that attaches on the butt of the stock and the fore-end of the rifle. You simply put your support arm between the sling and the rifle and then slip it around the sling and through a second time by the fore-end. It is harder to explain than to do, but it allows you to tighten yourself up to the rifle and get a somewhat more solid hold. It isn’t as solid as the military sling, but it is a lot faster. There is, however, a far better alternative both for speed and steadiness.

The CW Sling

The CW sling was discovered by Colonel Cooper when he was a guest of Carlos Widmann in Central America. Widmann was using a British sling system, called the Bisley two point sling. The canny Brits mounted a sling swivel ahead of the magazine on the rifle as well as on the butt and the fore-end. Attaching the rear end of the sling in front of the magazine and the fore-end allows it to form a loop that can be locked around the shooter’s upper arm, providing much of the solidity of the military sling. Cooper called it a “marvelous discovery.” That’s strong praise from such an expert, and he christened it the CW sling in honor of Widmann.

For normal carry, the CW sling is mounted on swivels located on the butt of the stock and on the fore-end. When the need arises for greater support, the shooter moves the sling from the butt swivel to the one by the trigger guard. With the CW sling, the shooter is able to obtain a solid position in less than two seconds, which is a big improvement over what can be done with the military sling. In my view, an even bigger advantage is that the CW sling is far simpler to employ than the military sling. While I don’t think it is quite as solid as the M1907 sling, it is much better than the hasty sling.

The Ching Sling

Eric Ching, a gentleman of the first order and an innovator of great talent, saw the CW sling as something to be improved. The problem with the CW is that it had to be shifted from the swivel on the butt to the swivel ahead of the trigger guard to be used for support. Eric felt that slowed the shooter. Ching, who sadly passed away before his time in 2007, was a graduate of multiple classes from Cooper at the Gunsite Training Center and worked with Cooper on his idea.

What Ching came up with was the idea of attaching a sliding short strap to the sling that attached to the center swivel. The sling is then attached to the fore-end and butt of the rifle. This eliminated the need to shift the sling from a carry position to the support position. It saves valuable time, allowing the shooter to take a solid position far more quickly than with the CW sling, while also allowing the shooter to instantly sling the rifle over the shoulder without adjustment. The short strap can be slid backwards to form a loop that functions just as the CW sling. When it is time to carry the rifle, the short strap slides up towards the front swivel and stays out of the way. It is truly a better mousetrap. It might be even faster than a hasty sling, while far more solid.

The Ching sling was originally made by icon Bruce Nelson, who like Eric, passed away well before his time. Geoff Beneze of Beast Enterprise then made them. Geoff was also a multi Gunsite grad and well understood the concept, though he has retired and no longer makes them. Next, Galco began making a leather one, and The Wilderness brought out a web version.

Of all of the current versions, I am most fond of the leather one from Andy Langlois. Andy is a multiple Gun Site graduate, just as was Eric Ching, and it just feels right to buy the sling from a kindred spirit of Eric’s. The other versions are also well made, but there is something about soul, and Andy’s slings have it. The quality of his work is excellent, and the slings make a functional and attractive addition to any rifle.

The Rhodesian Sling

The one drawback of the CW and Ching slings is that they need three swivel mounts installed on the stock. Andy has a friend in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and the two of them came up with a solution– the Rhodesian sling. The chap in Africa wanted something that would work like the Ching sling for his clients, but they usually didn’t want the third swivel on their rifles. The Rhodesian sling has a loop in the front half that can be wrapped around the bicep. The shooter merely inserts their arm into the loop up to the bicep and shoulders the rifle, just as they would a CW or Ching sling. It is fast and simple to use.

Of the two slings, assuming the rifle has three swivels, I think I slightly prefer the Ching sling to the Rhodesian, but I have used the Ching a lot more. It is possible that’s the reason for my preference, but I also find the Rhodesian has a bit more leather hanging off the front of the rifle than the Ching. Andy says he goes back and forth between the two slings and that you can trim the Rhodesian down, once you settle on the adjustments, so the extra leather really isn’t an issue. I’m still learning mine, so I don’t want to cut it, and I know my cuts won’t be as neat as Andy’s.

Andy gets $50 for the Ching sling and $55 for the Rhodesian. For the money, you get well-crafted slings made of high quality leather. You can choose 1” or 1 ¼” width slings in black, walnut, or chestnut colors. The chestnut is deep and rich, and I really like it. You can also choose brass, nickel, or Cerakoted black hardware. Brass appeals most to me, but the black is probably the best choice for hunting or self-defense.

I should point out that the popular AR-15 platform can have issues with slings. The front sling mount is usually attached directly to the barrel, and the tension of a tight sling can bend the barrel enough to affect shots. There are handguards that free float the barrel to prevent this problem, but that’s not what we find on most AR’s. A loop sling that provides support puts a lot of tension on the barrel, so this is a factor, I suspect, in the demise of the loop sling in our military.

Besides slings, Andy makes very nice butt cuffs to store ammunition on your rifle’s stock and fine belts suitable to carry a handgun on. He also has a line of holsters.

Slings are an essential accessory on a rifle that is to be used in the field. I highly recommend you check these out, especially for a hunting rifle.

I would like to dedicate this article to Eric Ching. He was gracious enough to trade emails with me several times and helped me understand and use his invention. A lot of folks miss him.

Fiebings Acrylic Resolene

I often whine about how badly sweat affects leather holsters in the hot, dank climate in which I live. It eats through the leather’s finish and then soaks through the leather and into the gun inside the holster. I’m outside a lot, and the resulting sweat has caused serious corrosion problems as well as ruined holsters. Initially, many holsters hold up to it, but eventually, sweat wins. I’ve tried a number of waterproofing treatments that I used successfully on shoes and boots, but they never seemed to work as well on holsters. I think there is just too much moisture coming off the body and it’s corrosive. An undershirt helps but doesn’t solve the problem.

I recently made my whine to someone at one of the best holster shops on the planet and he suggested I send my holsters back for another coat of acrylic. As I was about to box a couple up, I decided to investigate how acrylic finishes are applied to leather to see if this is something I might be able to do myself. That could save money and time as well as create independence. That research led me to Fieblings Acrylic Resolene.

I’m not completely sure what is in the stuff, but Fiebings says it is “flexible, durable, and water resistant.” I presume, since the name includes the word acrylic, that there must be some of that in it. At any rate, Resolene is a milky liquid that I used on a couple of well-worn but still loved holsters. Both of them had been saddle soaped, waxed, and oiled, but both were still letting sweat through, so it was either give up, toss them, or try something new.

Fiebings Deglazer

Since I had used so much other stuff on the holsters, I figured I should try to clean them first. My research led me to Fiebings Deglazer. It is recommended as a prep for the Resolene. It removes old finishes to make the leather receptive to absorbing the Resolene. It didn’t remove the dye, but it did leave the leather clean, porous, and dull– ready for a finish. The Deglazer, by the way, has a nasty smell, so it is best used with good ventilation. After applying the deglazer with a clean cotton rag, I let it dry for a few minutes. The Resolene seems pretty benign, so I spread it with my fingers. It took several coats, but the low gloss finish returned to both holsters. Even better, both have survived range trips and all-day carry without sweat getting through the surface coat.

The Deglazer evaporates quickly, so it seems like it might get used up before the same size bottle of Resolene, which looks like a long-term supply. I have only used it on holsters, but I suspect it will work nicely on most smooth leathers. It’s not for suede, though.

Both products sell for about $8.00 on Amazon in 4-ounce bottles.

– SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Scot Frank Eire

Recipe of the Week: Au Gratin Potatoes from Scratch

At our retreat, our most important vegetable plantings will be potatoes (high carb, dense, high energy, keepers) and onions (keepers with the ability to intensely or subtlety flavor dishes). The lettuce, tomatoes, beans, and what all will be secondary.

  • 10 Yukon gold potatoes
  • 3-4 Tbsp olive oil or butter
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, diced
  • 4 c milk
  • 4 Tbsp flour
  • 4 Tbsp butter
  • 2 c shredded or cubed cheese cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Paprika
  • Breadcrumbs, optional
  • Fresh thyme, optional

Wash, peel potatoes, and slice on a mandolin. (A mandolin is quicker than knife work and makes uniform slices. Just be sure to use the food holder. After slicing my fingers several times, I finally learned to be smarter. Ignore what you see on Food Network, those guys are pros. Use the protector.) Set aside potatoes.

Sauté onion in olive oil, until golden. Next, sauté garlic for only one minute. Set aside. Now you make a roux. Melt butter, then add flour. Stir, and a ball will form. Cook a couple of minutes to lightly brown and get rid of the raw flour taste. Add milk slowly, whisking constantly until milk mixture thickens. Add shredded cheese. (Last time I made this dish I just used some leftover cheese: cheddar cubes, pepper jack cubes, and shredded cheddar from a package.) After cheese melts, stir in onion mixture.

Pam a crockpot, and layer 1/2 the potatoes in the crockpot. Pour 1/2 the cheese mixture over the potatoes. Repeat with the other half potatoes and half cheese mixture. You can top with toasted panko crumbs or regular breadcrumbs. Dot breadcrumbs with butter. Sprinkle top with paprika for color. Strip leaves off fresh thyme, and sprinkle them around the top of dish. Cook on high for four hours.

This dish is easy, a crowd pleaser, filling, nutritious, and can be a vegetarian entree. Serve with a green salad or a fruit salad and some artisan bread. It’s a forgiving recipe, so you don’t have to be exact with the ingredients.

Serves 10+

This recipe can be easily adapted for cast iron cooking. Pre-heat pot, follow instructions above, place coals on top of lid for even cooking.

Storage and pantry application:

  • Freeze-dried or dehydrated onion
  • Freeze-dried potatoes
  • Dried milk
  • Canned butter

From the garden:

  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • Potatoes
  • Thyme

On hand:

  • Condiments

o o o

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

Letter Re: Harvest Right Freeze Dryer

HJL,

Hi, I purchased one of the Harvest Right units before your review and was impressed after looking over the machine. My first load was chicken, blueberries, muskmelon, and pineapple. WOW! It took a little longer, due to the moisture content of the berries, but everything turned out as the company said it would. Remember, one is none and two is one. Remember that in bad situation one will use more than 2000 cals due to stress, etc. Most of the units I have priced say they can supply those cals for 10k for one person. Oh, by the way, one can get more cals with beans and rice, so it lowers the cost, but when a person has an allergy to rice and beans one has to use other alternatives. I can’t keep enough epi for that type of allergy. Keep up the great work you do for the blog. – J.C.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Cops In Texas Seize Millions By ‘Policing for Profit’. – B.B.

o o o

Hendersonville hiker markets self-designed pack – G.G.

o o o

Glock Distributor and Two Glock Executives Indicted on Million+ Dollar Bribery and Fraud Charges – JBG

o o o

Mexico’s vigilante movement has a strong U.S. connection

o o o

Just because you’ve been making cheese that way for 5000 years doesn’t mean it’s safe. FDA Rules No Wooden Boards in Cheese Aging – Mike Williamson, SurvivaBlog Editor At Large.

Notes for Sunday – June 08, 2014

Today we present another entry for Round 53 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ 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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  5. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  6. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
  9. Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
  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. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  12. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.

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. A full set of all 26 books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),
  9. Dri-Harvestfoods.com in Bozeman, Montana is providing a prize bundle with Beans, Buttermilk Powder, Montana Hard Red Wheat, Drink Mixes, and White Rice, valued at $333,
  10. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  11. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate, and
  12. 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. A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. 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
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.

Round 53 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Seventy-Five Ways To Save Money For Prepping, by E.S.

There seems to be a significant uptick in the number of people who are concerned about preparing for unforeseen circumstances. Have you been studying on the necessity of prepping, but you wonder how you can afford it? Do you read article after article that outlines someone else’s backup plan, the backup to the backup plan, as well as plans A, B, and C on any number of topics? Are you concerned about inflation and food prices but can barely afford to feed and clothe your children? So am I.

Flash back to 2012, when Hurricane Sandy made landfall on the coast of New Jersey and slowly worked its way on through New York State. My husband was a pastor of a small church in the Hudson Valley, and our family lived in a parsonage inside the church. Having been through hurricanes before, we didn’t think this one would be too bad, given our location. Boy, were we wrong! When it started raining, the creek across the street swelled and jumped its banks, spilling thousands of gallons of water, in addition to the torrent coming out of the sky. Within hours, our entire church was surrounded by 2 1/2 feet of water on all sides. Thankfully, I had moved our van to the only high ground just minutes before the driveway became impassable. We watched helplessly, as the children’s playground equipment was picked up effortlessly by the raging river and floated its way out to the Hudson River. The nightmare was only just beginning.

For the next two weeks, our family– three children, two adults, and one grandmother– would live without water, electricity, and telephone. Through the kindness of our local volunteer fire department, who took pity on their fire house chaplain, we were eventually given a generator to help make things somewhat bearable. We were one of the lucky ones. Some neighborhoods in our area did not get their power repaired for almost a month. I never wanted to be in that position again and began to do research on becoming prepared. One website led to another and, shall we say, my horizons expanded but not my pocketbook.

I compiled this list, with my tongue firmly held in-cheek, to assist the novice. Detailed, technical articles on weapons specification or engine modification are incredibly amazing and informative to read, but they can also be paralyzing for the inexperienced. The temptation is to think, I don’t have that kind of experience, budget, land, or spouse; I can barely keep my head above water, so why should I bother. My hope is to be able to give the new and overwhelmed beginner a place to start. Lest I be accused of not taking TEOTWAWKI seriously, I will gently remind my audience to remember that, once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, you too didn’t know the difference between OPSEC and OPEC. 😉

“A merry heart does good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

  1. Ditch the boob tube. Stick to the basic cable package and save the difference, if you must; it’d be better to give up your TV completely. Spend that newly found time on reading books or working on new skills.
  2. If the complete cessation of TV puts you at risk for a household uprising of Hunger Games proportions, use Netflix and Red Box instead of dish or cable. A Netflix streaming subscription is $8 a month. You could also treat yourself and the family to a one-night Red Box rental every once in a while for $1.
  3. Make the library your best friend. Preview all those books, magazines, DVDs, and CDs, you have on your Amazon Wish List before buying or don’t buy them at all. If your local library doesn’t have what you are looking for, the inter in-state library system is an amazing resource.
  4. Cancel your gym membership. Do push-ups, sit-ups, wall sits, box jumps, et cetera. Go hiking in the woods (with or without a weighted backpack) or biking in your neighborhood park. Not only will you save money, but you will gain valuable endurance and muscle for any grid-down scenario.
  5. Why pay for multiple phones? If you have a mobile phone, disconnect your land line. You could also get rid of your obnoxious $120 per month Verizon cell plan and switch to a prepaid phone. Walmart’s Straight Talk has unlimited texting and long distance for $45 per month.
  6. Don’t let a screaming child (or teenager) rule your finances. Learn to say “no” and mean it! The same goes for teenagers begging you for the latest and greatest “I Whatever”. The proper mantra should be “get a job and pay for it yourself”. You’ll thank me later. This has been a public service announcement.
  7. Don’t play the lottery. Your likelihood of winning should be compared to the probability of you letting someone enter your house to do you and/or your family harm. Nada. Save that money for an emergency fund or for investing in precious metals. “PREESSSOUISSSS. MY PRESSSSOUISSSS!!”
  8. Stop accumulating debt, and develop a plan to pay it off. This goes for any type of lending system that requires you to pay interest.
  9. Log all expenses, and keep a continual tracking system in place. Know where the money goes. (FYI: You don’t have to use credit cards like the author suggests. Saving receipts and plugging in the figures later works just as well for the OPSEC minded.)
  10. Don’t “kill time” or amuse yourself by wandering aimlessly through a store or prowling endlessly on the Internet. Avoid these two like an outbreak of MERS and you’ll avoid the impulse purchases that inevitably add up.
  11. Relocate to a smaller, less expensive location. All the beans, bullets, and Band-Aids will only get you so far. A homestead will get you started on providing for many of your own needs. Read about what you need to know before making such a move.
  12. While we are talking about downsizing, contrary to popular belief, no child ever died because he or she had to share a room with a sibling. “The child. A room to share. Die he will not.”- Ancient Chinese Haiku
  13. Your baby could care less if his/her nursery resembles the latest Pottery Barn catalog. Previously owned cribs, high chairs, and children’s toys can save you loads of money for something that is only used for a short period of time. (Give them a really good wash with soapy water and bleach.) You can always resell them when they are no longer needed.
  14. Even if you had an entire lifetime, you could never read all the free books on Amazon. Download them onto your Kindle or laptop.
  15. “The Return of the Clothesline” is now playing at a theater near you. Start using a clothesline or drying rack and you’ll save energy, prolong the life of your clothes, and your house will be quieter and cooler. Oscar Awards all around!
  16. Only wash your clothing when necessary, and when you do, use cold water for everything except bedding and whites and unless, of course, you are a coal miner, grease monkey, or pig farmer. You’ll save by having smaller-size laundry loads. This DOES NOT apply to undergarments or any items belonging to a teenage boy.
  17. Attend or host a clothing swap. It’s a great way for everybody to get “new” clothes without spending money.
  18. Sewing will be a great skill to know and barter with post-SHTF. Many times articles of clothing will go unworn when buttons come off or a seam comes loose. It is a shame to let nice pieces of clothing go to waste or kids outgrow them without getting as much use from them as you can. It also comes in handy to have a sewing machine so you can take clothes in and let them out without always having to buy new ones.
  19. Practice the art of patience. Continually ask yourself, “Do I have to have it now? Can I buy it cheaper later?” Learn to save up for that $1,500 AR-15, instead of whipping out the credit card and stressing your finances (and possibly your marriage) for the next six months. “For anything worth having, one must pay the price; and the price is always work, patience, love, self-sacrifice– no paper currency, no promises to pay but the gold of real service.” -John Burroughs 
  20. “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Benjamin Franklin was way ahead of his time. Methodically put all your loose change into a piggy bank at the end of each day, and watch the savings rack up. The average adult generates $35.00 worth of loose change a month. Starting with zero, save that $35 per month for 30 years and add a rate of return of 7%. That is $16,481 in savings!!!
  21. Pay a little more on your mortgage each month and potentially save thousands over the life of the loan. Your lender can calculate this for you if you’re considering making that monthly extra a consistent amount. Alternatively, you could make one extra payment per year.
  22. Use open source software and never pay again. Use Libre Office for documents, Linux for your operating system, and other free software available for free on sites like SourceForge.Net.
  23. Talk to your doctor about prescriptions and explain you have trouble affording them. Voila! Free prescription drugs. Stock up on samples of your prescription of choice. This also works for baby formula samples from the pediatrician.
  24. Save money on prescriptionsby avoiding “combo pills”. A combo pill combines more than one type of medication. For example, Lotrel is a blood pressure medicine that costs $70 a month for generic, but you could get a prescription for the two components (Amlodipine and Benazepril) for $6 each.
  25. Embrace your inner snail. Driving 65 miles per hour uses 15% more gas than driving 55 miles per hour. That’s like paying 40 cents more per gallon! Just remember to stay out of the left lane, especially on I-95.
  26. A clean air filter can improve your gas mileage by up to 7%, saving you more than $100 for every 10,000 miles you drive in an average vehicle. Follow the instructions in your automobile’s manual and you’re good to go.
  27. Check Craigslist for free plants; you’ll almost always find them!
  28. Grow a garden. From toxic pesticides to GMO’s and rising food prices, a garden is a great hedge bet against any and all of these buggers. However, one should, in reality, look at this as a long-term scenario that will require some initial capital investment via money, time, study, and sanity, especially around zucchini-harvest time when you will want to completely resist the temptation to lob excess zucchini into the open windows of any random passing vehicles.
  29. Find places to glean in your area. Free produce score!
  30. Don’t waste money on ten different spray cleaners. Put the Internet to use, and Google homemade replacements for just about everything. Then go stock up on vinegar, baking soda, Borax, and hydrogen peroxide.
  31. Recycling is not just for the granola and patchouli crowd. Look twice at things before throwing them away. You can use Christmas cards as gift tags, if you cut off the front. Decoupage that old piece of furniture or spray paint a chandelier to give it a new life. Save nice glass jars for gift giving or organizing just about anything. You’ll never have to buy a box for shipping, if you save a stash.
  32. Shopping online? Never leave the coupon code box blank again! Google the name of the store and add the words “promo code” to the search bar. Sites like RetailMeNot.com offer free coupon codes for just about any product you’re shopping for.
  33. Stack the Deals. Use multiple methods of saving when you shop! Cashback sites, like Ebates, can help you save more online, while Ibotta, Plink, and SavingStar can add to your savings at the stores. Sites, like Plastic Jungle, can save you even more by selling you gift cards at discounted prices.
  34. If you can be disciplined and use these offers as tools, here are 15 companies that are giving away $1,823.40 for trying out their products and services.
  35. Do you live in a college town? Do you frequent yard sales, Ebay, and/or Goodwill stores? Earn up to $750 a month selling used books.
  36. Have your teeth cleaned at a college or university with a dental program or your hair cut at a beauty school. Sometimes this is even free.
  37. Do you have your possessions or do they possess you? Hold a yard sale of your own or sell stuff on eBay. We Americans suffer with a condition known as Affluenza, also known as Spoiled Rotten-itis. Go through your attic, basement, and closets with an impartial eye. Do you really need to keep that sweater Aunt Matilda crocheted ten Christmases ago? Find things that you absolutely don’t need and sell them. It is amazing how much more liberated and less stressed you will feel. It will also free up much needed room to store those preps.
  38. Learn how to do basic home repairs and maintenance. Home Depot offers free classes from the Home Improver Club. You will learn important skills and save money at the same time. That is, of course, unless it’s a major project. You really don’t want to make any mistakes that only a professional can repair (and will charge you accordingly).
  39. Letting that precious heat and cool air escape will cost you. Get that house airtight. Pad your doors and windows. Check the insulation in your attic. What kind of shape is it in? Does it even have a shape? Do you need to add more R-value than already exists?
  40. Invest in a programmable thermostat. Keep your home cooler at night in winter climates or warmer in the day for summer climates.
  41. The layered look is trendy. In cool or cold seasons keep the thermostat at 68 or lower, and wear more layers in the house to save on heating bills.
  42. Sweating is not just for the physically inclined. In a grid-down scenario, there won’t be any electric relief. Don’t use the A/C if you don’t really need to, and try to adapt to the temperature. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Also, you can make this homemade air conditioner.
  43. Your grandparents had the right idea; keep your blinds and curtains closed during the day. Save energy by keeping the warmth in or the sun out, then open the windows to let in the cool night or pre-dawn air. Insulated, honeycomb blinds are pricey, but they are worth the added expense.
  44. Save all those little soap fragments, and make them into a soap ball. Make sure to take any soap in your hotel room home with you, and do the happy dance. You just scored free toiletries!
  45. Save one empty bottle each of shampoo and conditioner, then half-fill them with refills. Top the bottle up with water until full. Voila! They will last twice as long, because modern toiletries are so thick. Even at half-strength, you can achieve satisfactory cleanliness.
  46. Better still; learn to make all your toiletries from scratch.
  47. Sharpen your multi-blade razor on the back of your arm. You really may never need to buy one again! This guy figured out that your arm works like leather.
  48. Gentlemen, if you’re going bald, please shave your head. Don’t buy into all those silly hair restoration promises. Save on haircuts, shampoo, and dignity from embarrassing Mr. Collins-type comb-overs. One name: Sir Patrick Stewart.
  49. This goes for you too, ladies. If you can’t stand the thought of going gray, minimize your exposure to a host of toxic chemicals, and learn to make all-natural hair color.
  50. Discover your local farmer’s market. Your budget will love the prices and you’ll love the fresh taste of just-picked produce! Wait until about a half hour before it is scheduled to end, and you might pick up some extra bargains. Farmers generally loathe to schlep everything back home and are more willing to haggle. To find a farmer’s market near you, visit LocalHarvest.org and enter your zip code.
  51. Are you guilty of running errands every single day or making two trips to the store because you didn’t make a list? Planning ahead will save you both time and gas money.
  52. Stop using plastic bags for food storage. Try to store all food in reusable containers, without having to resort to expendable Ziploc products. Another alternative is to wash zipper-type bags and recycle.
  53. Eventually, all those stockpiled paper towels and napkins will run out. Use washable rags instead. You can make rags out of old clothes instead of throwing them away.
  54. Take one hour and plan out your week’s menu in advance. You will only buy the food that you actually need and save on all the food which is thrown away every week.
  55. Always shop with a grocery list. By planning your shopping in advance, resistance to those impulse purchases will not be futile.
  56. High-end grocery stores are overpriced. You can get everything you need at less expensive stores, utilizing the variety of saving methods contained in this article. There’s a reason why they call specialty stores, like Whole Foods, “a Whole Paycheck”.
  57. Research bulk prices on staple items you regularly use. Check out the different rates on Amazon.com, Vitacost, at places like Sam’s Club/Costco, or through a bulk buying co-op, such as Azure Standard. If you want to get the bulk rate but don’t think you’ll use all of the item, consider splitting up the purchase with a friend or two, so you all benefit from the bulk pricing without having a massive amount of any single item.
  58. Double check your grocery receipts. My local Kroger will refund the entire purchase price of an item if you are overcharged at checkout. For instance, a particular brand of dish washing powder had a tag on the shelf which read “On Sale, $4.34”. After checking out, I noticed that I was charged $5.79 for the powder and was also overcharged on apple juice. I visited customer service and was refunded a total of $8.00– $5.79 for the dish washing powder, $1.99 for one bottle of apple juice, and $0.20 for the other two bottles of apple juice I bought. It pays to know your prices.
  59. Stocking up when the price is low is the key to saving. Having a price book will really benefit you in the long run. Find what works for you– coupons, shopping at several stores, or shopping online. A combination of all three is my technique of choice!
  60. He, who is the early worm, gets the reduced meat. Find out when your grocery store marks down their meat, and beat the rush. Buy beef, fish, and chicken when it’s on special. Then, freeze it in smaller meal-size packs.
  61. Alternatively, buy a side of beef, instead of smaller packages at the store. A chest freezer only costs about $8 a month to operate. You’ll be able to avoid CAFO meat laced with hormones and E.Coli, and you won’t have to pay the laughably expensive grocery store prices for grass-fed beef.
  62. Cook from scratch, often. “Boxed mix does not a cake from scratch make.”-Yentil (cousin of Yoda), quote taken from the book New Dagoba Cooking.
  63. Store bought spice mixes and rubs have all sorts of questionable ingredients in them, like fake fillers, preservatives, and MSG. It is far healthier, cheaper, and tastier to make your own. Here are 17 combinations to start you off.
  64. Challenge yourself to see how long you can go without going to the store! It’s amazing how this will usually inspire you to come up with meals with what you already have on hand, even if you feel like “there’s nothing here to eat”! Check the nooks and crannies of your cupboards, refrigerator, and freezer. Type in the ingredients you have and don’t have on the Ingredient Search Feature on AllRecipes.com, and it will generate a list of recipe ideas for you based upon what you already have on hand.
  65. Make food in batches. Preparing food in larger quantities saves money in the long run. Are you making lasagna for dinner? Cook two, and pop one in the freezer. You won’t be tempted to spend needlessly on takeout on Junior’s game days, if you know there is already a nutritious alternative at home.
  66. Instead of boiling your vegetables until they are cooked, bring the water to a boil and then put a lid on the pot and turn the heat off. The steam and heat in the water will cook most vegetables.
  67. When cooking or baking, turn your oven off 10 to 20 minutes before the cooking time is finished and allow the built-up heat in the oven to finish it off.
  68. Fruit that is going a bit brown or mushy is fine for a smoothie. Pop it in the freezer or dehydrate it if you’re not ready to use it.
  69. Did you know that the typical yogurt marketed to kids contains an average of 7-8 teaspoons of sugar? Making your own yogurt is absurdly easy and cost-effective.
  70. Learn how to soak grains and make your own bread; either by hand or with a machine. The grains will be rendered more digestible and the results will make your skirts fly up.
  71. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to capture wild yeast from the air. Sourdough is more digestible than standard loaves and more nutritious, too. Lactic acids make the vitamins and minerals in the flour more available to the body by helping neutralize the phytates in flour that would interfere with their absorption. The acids slow down the rate at which glucose is released into the blood-stream and lower the bread’s glycemic index (GI), so it doesn’t cause undesirable spikes in insulin. Sourdough is also less likely to cause food intolerance.
  72. Almost every activity at home is less expensive than going out. Invite some friends over and have a cookout or a potluck meal. Everyone will have fun, the cost will be low, and the others will likely reciprocate not long afterwards.
  73. Re-think gift giving. Try not to just buy because you feel you need to but rather think it through very carefully; possibly give a little less, give hand-made, give used things, give consumable things, and don’t be stressed by the whole process.
  74. Talk to your loved ones about your dreams. It might seem strange to find this tip on a list of money-saving strategies, but give me a minute. If you spend time with the people you love the most and come to some consensus about your dreams, it becomes easy for you all to map out a future. If you’re all planning and working together towards a common goal, it becomes easier to stay focused and reach it. Set a big, loud, audacious goal together, and encourage each other during the journey.
  75. Never give up! Whatever it is that is your struggle– finances, family, or burnout– remember that there are a lot of people out there who are experiencing the exact same circumstances. Resist the inducement to think you are alone. Read through the archives of this blog. Learn some new things. Perhaps you’ll be encouraged to keep going, no matter what.

“He conquers who endures.” -Persius

Letter Re: Getting A Real Education

HJL,

No disputes on the article from me. It points out that the “college education” and the attendant debt only assures more debt and dubious occupation opportunities. I made the error of having a career. When the economy went down the tubes and I was out of work, I did the degree thing. I was left with debt. Essentially no job opportunities were there. The economy was still failing. Because I had experience and an education, I was told I was “overqualified”. Say what? Reentry in the job market was at minimum wage, in a job normally filled by a high school graduate with no experience. I would have happily gone the self sufficiency route. It was not an option for my wife and me. I have, thankfully, been a prepper all my life. The skills and preps have always served me well.

For a really good example of the value of education, I recommend reading, “Last of the Mountain Men“, by Harold Peterson. It is the story of Sylvan Hart. He graduated from college, as an engineer, during the Great Depression. There were no jobs and little opportunity. He went on to live a long and fulfilling life in the Idaho Rockies. His education was not wasted, nor did it get in the way of having a good life. – J.D.

HJL Replies: Having been on the inside of the education system, I am acutely aware of the brainwashing job the educational system has had on the general populace. It is common for a parent to believe that their child must have a college education in order to have any prospects at having a job. It has filtered through so thoroughly that even police and fire agencies often expect a 4-year degree to gain entrance to their base level programs. There are incredibly important jobs in society that don’t even need the equivalent of a high school diploma. They may not be glamorous, but they are necessary. As an example, why aren’t our high schools teaching the kids the basic skills necessary to run their own business? How much education do you need to be a septic pumper? Yet, this is a job that has an entry salary of almost $50,000/year in some areas.

Check out the video “The College Conspiracy” at The National Inflation Association for an detailed analysis on how the system is rigged to make money for some while taking the majority for a ride. It’s an hour long in-depth expose’ of the college tuition and financial aid system but well worth the time spent to watch it. You will never look at colleges the same again.

Economics and Investing:

One Ton Gold Shipment Into Hong Kong Revealed To Contain Just Worthless Metal – B.B.

o o o

Steve Forbes: Link dollar to gold or face Great Depression II – G.G.

o o o

Items from Mr Econocobas:

Companies Add Fewer Workers Than Forecast, ADP Data Show

Fed’s Fisher Wants October End to QE3; Sees No 2014 Rate Hike

Ya Think? “Student-Loan Debt May Hamper Economy, Senate Panel Hears”

Half The Country Makes Less Than $27,520 A Year and 15 Other Signs The Middle Class is Dying

Odds ‘n Sods:

Payday Lenders Sue Regulators Over Operation Choke Point – G.G.

o o o

Some great ideas to lighten the load… of a bug out bag? 13 Clever Camping Hacks to Make the Outdoors More Fun – R.J.

o o o

I’m using this as an excuse for all those times I ate dirt as a kid. Seriously, in the day and age where even the grocery store supplies disinfectant wipes at the door, is it any wonder that we have no immunity? Newborns Exposed to Dirt, Dander and Germs May Have Lower Allergy and Asthma Risk – H.L.

o o o

How the NSA can ‘turn on’ your phone remotely

o o o

Sheriff calls Homeland Security on man legally requesting public records – T.P.