Guest Article: High Quality Survival Tools, by J.F.

Flight Jacket

I like black flight jackets. They are dressy enough to wear to an art reception and common enough to be worn to a junk yard. They’re made of water-proof nylon and have two large button outside pockets, two large inside button pockets, and a pocket on the shoulder. The best one that I have found is sold at Alpha Industries. If you look in the left front pocket, there is a white label that states Alpha Industries Jacket, Flyers, Man Intermediate. On the shoulder pen pocket is a small black label sticking out with a gold sort of “A” on it with three bars on either side of the “A”. This is how you can tell it’s not a cheap one.

Pocket Light

For a little light to carry in my pants pocket, I like the Fenix E11 light, available from Duluth Trading for $40 with shipping. The problem with all the other lights is that they either come unscrewed in my pocket, get accidentally switched “on”, or are very dim. This light has a strong click button on the end so it stays “off” in my pocket, and it never comes unscrewed. It uses a standard AA battery, which makes it easy to carry a spare in your flight jacket. It is very bright at 115 lumens with its LED bulb. It is not much bigger than a AA battery. So, now instead of carrying an extra AA battery, I just carry a second E11 light in case the battery dies, thus providing me with a full backup or extra light for a partner.

Cell Phone Charger Battery

I carry a PowerRocks backup cell phone charger battery, available in Verizon stores. This is the rectangular one, which is bigger than the cylinder one. It has a lot of power and is good for four charges of an iPhone. It charges a lot faster than a car charger, too. It’s about $70 and comes in colors, in case you want to get a second one and need to keep track of which is which.

Cell Phone

I bought a second cell phone, in case everything falls apart with the main cell phone when I am in a jam. I got a T-Mobile flip phone from Walmart for about $40. I put on a $10 minute card every three months. It seems to be able to hold a charge for many months. It’s not very big and doesn’t take up much room. When you get the phone, you go on the Internet and pick the area code you want, and it gives you the number. I put the number on the phone with my label maker. So, if the iPhone breaks, runs out of charge, or if Verizon goes down, I have a completely separate system for the low cost of $10 a quarter.

I carry extra 12v and 110 volt plugs and the charging wire for the iPhone and the wire that goes from the PowerRock to the iPhone. Unfortunately, the flip phone has a big charger and a Samsung-unique plug. Given enough research, one could probably find a better flip phone that could be charged directly off the PowerRock battery.

Odds and Ends

All of this fits easily in my flight jacket pockets along with a nice big pocket knife, bandaids, water purification pills, some medicine that I take, two freshly laundered handkerchiefs, some napkins, a big folding black hat, a pair of gloves, some ear plugs for concerts, a very small backup ball point pen, some large paper clips, a couple of Bic lighters, and a pill bottle full of peanuts out of the shell.

Hobos used to make little lamps from a peanut burning the oil within the nut itself. They would take a paperclip, bore a hole in one end of the peanut, and insert a piece of toilet paper in the hole for a wick and then make a stand of the paperclip to hold the lamp up by drilling into the other end of the nut. It burns for quite some time. Remember, Rudolph Diesel used peanut oil for his first engines.

In addition, in the small pill bottle I carry a push pin for punching holes, a couple of safety pins, different sized nails for boring holes, and bit of toilet paper rolled up in the size of a dice for the lamp.

I also carry a couple of small ziplock bags, which I constantly seem to be using for something. I carry am ATM card for my secondary bank and an extra set of car and house keys. They theory behind the extra keys is that if I get my wallet stolen and not my jacket, I can still get inside my car, get to an ATM, and get into my home. I also carry a couple of twenty dollar bills and a dozen quarters, which can operate a pay phone or a vending machine.

Pat’s Product Review – Solar Flare Solar Cooker

I must say that, in all my years of testing products, the Solar Flare Parabolic Solar Cooker has been one of my most challenging products to test. Made in the U.S., in Bountiful, Utah, this cooker proved a handful. No, not the product itself, rather the weather in my part of Oregon. For the better part of almost a month, we had very heavy, low-hanging fog. It’s been totally frustrating, to say the least!

Anyone who is a prepper, survivalist, camper, or hunter, should understand the “Rule Of Three”, and that is you should always have three ways of accomplishing a task. It’s sort of a back-up plan, with a secondary back-up plan, should plan one or plan two fail you. When it comes to cooking, we have several methods available to us at our homestead. We have our electric cook stove in the kitchen. We also have a propane camp stove that is used a lot when the power goes out. We have a BBQ grill that also has a propane burner on it. We also have a solar oven, and we have several “rocket-type” stoves as well. So, we have a lot of bases covered.

We had more than two solid weeks of heavy fog with no sunshine at all. So, it was impossible to test the Solar Flare Parabolic Cooker during this time. This is an example of why you need back-up plans for your preparedness items. You can’t always count on perfect weather or fuel supplies. I even took the Solar Flare up on a mountain near my home, hoping the fog wouldn’t be up that high. Wrong! On several occasions, the sun did break through late in the day. However, it wasn’t out long enough to get anything cooked in the Solar Flare. No sooner would I get everything set-up, which only takes a few minutes, the sun would disappear behind some heavy clouds or more fog would roll in. It was totally frustrating, to say the least.

A close look at the Solar Flare is in order, and it is one of those “why didn’t I think of that” inventions. First, we have the cooking vessel, which is a large Mason canning jar that has a special coating that helps it retain the heat, so the food cooks inside the jar. The temperature inside the jar can reach 350-400 degrees inside of a few minutes. With the special black colored coating, unlike other solar cookers, there are no hot or cold spots inside the jar, and you don’t have to stir your food as it cooks. In most cases, your food will cook in about 45 minutes to an hour. The cooking jar works similar to a pressure cooker.

We also have the reflector, which catches the sun’s rays. Unlike some solar ovens, this flexible reflector allows the sun’s rays to fully circle the Mason jar– 360 degrees. I’m not sure what material the solar reflector is made out of, but it is familiar to me, and there isn’t any information on the Solar Flare website as to what this material is. You can roll it up and place a rubber band around it, and place it in your backpack for easy transport. Just don’t fold it or wrinkle it, or you’ll lose a lot of the “reflectivity” of the reflector, so be advised!

You also get a plastic bucket with a lid on it to transport the special Mason jar. There is also a cooking bag, similar to what you might find at your local grocery store, that you can place the cooking vessel in on winter days; this helps retain the heat and cook your meal faster. I examined the plastic bag, and it looks for all the world like the bag my wife uses to cook our Thanksgiving turkey in. It helps retain the heat and moisture of the turkey, and it helps to cook it faster.

Here is how the Solar Flare set-up works. You take the reflector and put it together using the easy-to-use fasteners, so you have a parabolic shape to the reflector. You then place the cooking vessel (Mason jar) on top of the plastic bucket, with the lid on the bucket, and place the parabolic reflector around the cooking vessel. On colder days and in the winter, you should place the cooking vessel inside of the plastic cooking bag to help retain the heat and promote faster cooking. You also get two plastic “riser” cups, if you feel the need to raise the cooking vessel a little higher. It depends on the weather and the angle of the sun whether you need the riser cups or not. Experiment! You need to adjust the parabolic reflector so that it is catching the sun’s rays.

Okay, that’s it! There isn’t anything complicated about setting up the Solar Flare cooker. It really is “that” simple. The only problem I encountered, once we finally got around to actually being able to do some cooking with this product, was wind! A few times the reflector blew off the cooking jar. I did some checking on the Internet and have found numerous people who have used the Solar Flare cooker, and everyone loved it and said it was the best-of-the-best, in regards to this type of set-up. I can’t find much to fault. The thing works and works as advertised, so long as you have access to a solid hour or more of sunshine, and one of the best things is, you can’t overcook your meal.

I did find that it is best to let the cooking vessel cool down a bit before handling it; it gets VERY hot. You don’t have to put the lid on tight; just finger tight, in order for it to work as a pressure cooker. You can also use it to pasteurize water, too. Another thing worth noting is that, if you are on the run, you sure don’t want to make a campfire and have smoke giving away your position. On the other hand, you want to make sure that the solar reflector doesn’t give away your position either, with the sun reflecting off your cooker and giving the bad guys your exact location. However, with a little experimentation, you can safely hide the reflector with a little bit of camo, yet still allow it to cook your meal.

I’d like to see the Solar Flare come with two of the specially-coated Mason jars. Once one is filled and the food inside is cooked, you could place the second one inside the Solar Flare for a second person’s meal to start cooking. As an aside, I’d like to see Solar Zenith include some kind of carrier for the reflector, so after you roll it up, you can place it inside of the carrier and not worry about it getting bent or crinkled. A mailing tube that you could get at any post office of office supply store would work. Still, I think it would be a dandy item to include in the kit as it comes from the factory. That’s just my two-cents worth.

A single Solar Flare cooker sells for $69.99, and you can get two of them for $99.99. To be sure, they are a lot of fun to cook with, and they work as advertised, when you have some sunshine for more than an hour or so. I was totally frustrated with the lack of sunshine we had in our area, but I was determined that this product would work. Once the sun came out, at long last, I put it to the test and cooked several meals over several days. A person can cook a couple days worth of meals at one time, if they had more than one cooking vessel. You can purchase additional accessories from the company, so be sure to check out their website for more information.

Once again, this product proved that you really need to follow the “Rule Of Three”and have three different ways to accomplish any task, including cooking. Remember, no single method of doing anything is something you want to depend on. If you want to start a campfire, you should have matches, a flint and steel, a butane lighter, et cetera. Don’t just depend on the matches, and don’t depend on just one method of cooking. Explore other avenues, and the Solar Flare is one great method for flameless cooking in an emergency or even just cooking out in the great outdoors, as an alternate way of doing your cooking. It’s a worthwhile investment to your emergency preps. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Pat’s Product Review – Buck Knives 110 Folder 50th Anniversary Edition

Buck Knives, www.buckknives.com , has been around for about 100 years, depending on who you talk to. Their most popular folding knife is still their Model 110 lock-back folding knife that is made in their plant in Post Falls, Idaho. Many people say that imitation is the sincerest form or flattery. If that’s the case, then the Buck Model 110 lock-back folding knife is probably one of the most copied folding knives in the world, if not “the” most copied folding lock-back knife.

The Model 110 is now celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2014, and every model will have “50” stamped on the tang of the blade, as well as a medallion in the handle. The sample I received must be one that slipped through because it doesn’t have the medallion in the handle. It is only stamped “50” on the blade. Perhaps I have a one-of-a-kind; we shall see.

For as long as I can remember, and even today when someone sees a large, lock-back folding knife, they often call it a “Buck”, regardless of who made it. However, let’s be clear on this, there is only one Buck Model 110. Everyone else is copying the design. Some make minor changes so as to not infringe on the design. Others simply outright copy the design made famous by Buck. To be sure, they are all copies or clones– some well-made and some junk, with the pure junk being made overseas and imported into the U.S. There is only one Buck Model 110, and it’s the real deal!

The blade on the Buck Model 110 is 3 3/4 inches long, but it seems longer, for some reason. The material is 420HC (High Carbon) stainless steel. There is one thing Buck is famous for, and that is that their knives are made out of 420HC and known to hold an edge on the blade for an extremely long time. Therein lies the one minor complaint. The steel is very hard to re-sharpen. For those who aren’t aware, Buck changed their edge geometry a few years back, and now all their knives are much easier to re-sharpen. Before this change, it took a real knack with a sharpening stone to get a dulled Buck knife’s edge back to “hair-popping” sharp– the way it came from the factory. So, if you haven’t purchased a Buck Knife lately because they were hard to re-sharpen, fear not; the task is much easier, thanks to the new edge geometry Buck is putting on all their knives.

The 110 has Macassar ebony Dymondwood handle scales, and this is very dense material– almost indestructible, to be sure. Plus, it is a very attractive deep brown color. Brass bolsters are on either end of the handle, and they are real brass (not brass coated or colored aluminum or steel, like many of the fake 110s have). For all you tactical knife fans, you’ll be sad to know that the 110 does not have thumb studs for rapid opening. It has the old fashion nail nick, so you need two hands to open the blade. As already mentioned, it is a lock-back design with the lock midway down the spine of the handle, and the blade locks-up extremely tight. A black leather belt sheath is included with each 110, too.

Here’s a bit of trivia, and many of you Vietnam Vets will already know this. The Buck Model 110 was the most popular folding knife carried by our troops in Vietnam, and all the base PX outlets sold the 110. If memory serves me correctly, the Buck Model 119 Special was probably the most popular privately-purchased fixed blade knife bought by our troops in the later years of the Vietnam War, too. Buck Knives has a long history with our fighting men and women in the military.

I have an older (not real old, though) Buck Model 110, and I carry it every now and then. Comparing it to the new 50th anniversary edition, side-by-side, I can see the different edge geometry because I know what I’m looking for. Aside from the “50” stamped on the blade’s tang, there is no discernible difference between the older model 110 and the new 110.

A very wise sage, at a major knife company, once told me that a really good knife design will have about a 3-year life. After that, people lose interest in the design and sales decline. Eventually, the design is dropped from the line-up. We are looking at steady sales of the Buck Model 110 for 50 years now, and I don’t see it disappearing from the Buck Knives line-up any time soon, either. The design is as popular as ever. If it wasn’t, then all these copy cat companies wouldn’t be copying the Buck Model 110’s design.

I know that, these days, everyone has to have the latest “tactical” folding knife with thumb studs for fast opening and a pocket clip for easy carry in the pants pocket, and it needs to have a liner-type lock or other similar features. However, for a pure hunting folder, an everyday carry folder, or one for camping and survival purposes, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better folding knife with a longer history than the Buck Model 110 has going for it. So, if you’re in the market for a new folding knife and might just want a little nostalgia to go along with it, take a close look at the Buck 110. Its full retail is only $73.00, and it comes with Buck’s lifetime warranty against defects in materials, too. Just make sure you are purchasing a genuine Buck and not a copy because not every large, lock-back folding knife that looks like a Buck is a Buck. Buy the real deal, and you won’t ever be disappointed. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Recipe of the Week: Homemade Biscuits, By M.B.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine
  • 3/4 cup milk

Directions:

  1. Combine all dry ingredient and blend well with whisk.
  2. Cut in butter until resembles coarse bread crumbs.
  3. Stir in milk until all comes together to form a dough ball.
  4. Turn out dough ball onto a heavily floured surface. Let set for a couple of minutes and then knead for about a minute and then re-flour surface and pat out to about 1/2? thick.
  5. Cut biscuits with floured biscuit cutter or thick drinking glass or a cup and place into ungreased baking pan.
  6. Form remaining dough into ball and repeat until all dough made into biscuits.
  7. Bake in 425-450 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.

This recipe will make approximately 12 biscuits and will freeze well too. Just place your cut biscuits onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper and place cookie sheet into freeze making sure to keep level. Once frozen remove and place into a freezer bag and place into freezer. When ready to use just follow baking directions and bake only the amount that you need, you do not have to bake all of them at one time.

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

Letter Re: Magnum Research

Pat Cascio product review on the Magnum Research 1911C generated an interesting conversation with a SurvivalBlog reader:

There are a plethora of 1911s on the market, many of them suitable for combat. If I am going to own a gun from Magnum Research, it would have to be a Desert Eagle. – B.P.

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Ben,

I have owned a Desert Eagle in .50AE. It wasn’t one of the plated weapons but just a plain parkerized version. I will have to admit that the “fun” factor was second to none on that handgun. However, the reality is that it was the most impractical hand gun I have ever owned. I eventually sold it as fodder to standardize the weapons and calibers that I had.

My complaints with the Desert Eagle are many, but include:

  1. It has a rotary bolt. The torque of the bolt unlocking meant that there was significant rotation of the weapon in your hand. The more rotation you allowed through your grip, the more energy was absorbed in the recoil and resulted in less reliable slide lock-up. I’m not a small guy (220 pounds), and I couldn’t reliably fire it one-handed. One-handed drills resulted in about a 50% failure rate. I experienced either incomplete return to battery, extraction failures, or failure to strip a new round from the magazine. (These problems occurred even with off-the-shelf IMI gold/black box ammo.)
  2. The safety level has the worst design… EVER! The thumb-activated safety (not a decocking lever) was a slide mounted, push forward design. This meant that to carry it for combat, you have to carry it in condition one. Drawing, safety-off, and firing was not a smooth progression, as it is for 1911 types. You had to deliberately push the safety forward and get your thumb out of the way before firing, which is not a natural action, I assure you. The extended nature of the safety (due to the size of the slide) meant that if you accidentally fired the weapon before consciously removing your thumb, you were going to lose part of your hand (as the safety would grab your thumb, and the slide would then rip your thumb backward). If your hand is big enough, you get sore. If you have a small hand, you get damage to your thumb and webbing of the hand. In both cases, the gun rips itself out of your grip and falls to the floor. (Hopefully, it has a failure to return to battery at this point.) The only way around this was to carry in condition three. There were so many sharp edges on the model I had, you would rip your hands apart trying to do an Israeli draw with it. The sharp edges could probably be remedied, but I was reluctant to add to the already ridiculously high cost.
  3. The thing was massive and tiring to shoot and hold. A large thigh holster is the only reasonable way to carry it.
  4. While take-down was simple and easy, cleaning was not. Also, the powders used in commercial ammo tended to be shotgun powders and burned extremely dirty. Due to the gas-operated design, powder residue is all through the weapon. Plan on an hour or two of cleaning it after shooting.
  5. .50AE might as well be a custom caliber. It’s expensive to purchase new and expensive to reload. Brass is relatively rare and pricey. The rebated rim means no usage in a Dillon RL650 or similar progressive with auto case feeder. $2.00/pop is a bit much for plinking. (Can you really call a .50 plinking?)

Those negatives aside, there is no replacement for the fun factor. I hate indoor shooting ranges, but I used to take my boys to one with this pistol, just for the fun factor. You could line up on the firing line with the other shooters. (The ones that have dividers between them are the best.) You could pretty much tell what the other shooters were shooting. The “pops” were the 9mm. The “booms” were the .45s. The “Bangs” were things like .40S&W or .357sig. You get set up and pull the trigger. My Desert Eagle made a “KA-BOOM!!” with a 5-foot flame. Suddenly, the range falls quite. You’re not sure if there is no other shooting or if you just damaged your hearing, because even double hearing protection (foam plugs and ear muffs) is woefully inadequate. “KA-BOOM!!!” again. Now, lean back in your shooting area to see around the divider, and every eye in the place will be looking at you 🙂 Like I said, the fun factor is off the charts.

I had my fun. Sold it. Now, I wouldn’t go back there. Good memories are enough for me. 🙂 – Hugh

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Yes, I have to agree with you (Hugh) on pretty much all counts. I prefer the DE in 44 mag, as too many broken bones in my hands preclude anything more powerful these days.

The DE is not an effective combat gun. I would never want to tote one on patrol. That said, it could make a suitable platform for handgun hunting, especially with the extended barrel length. In speaking to like-minded engineer types (also big shooters), one could compensate for torque by porting the barrel to counter the twist, with moderately good results and decreased FTF problems.

The fun factor is definitely the primary reason to have/shoot one of these cannons, but it is a niche gun, expensive, and the only production semi-auto I know that truly shoots magnum power. I do not have one in my arsenal because, like you, I have standardized most of what I own (although I can’t seem to let go of my Super Redhawk). Up here in Big Bear country (Alaska), I feel more at ease having a six gun in a chest rig over my waders loaded with “Buffalo Bore” 340 grain flat tops pushing 1,400 fps. That’s still wimpy when facing a big grizzly, but better than throwing rocks or swatting at it with my fly pole. LOL.

Otherwise, I carry one of my Glocks in either 45 or 40 S&W. I got the 45 because I am from the old school on stopping power, wanted something more than seven rounds to a magazine, and the Glock sits in my hand better than a 1911 frame. I have two of the 40 S&W because that is what LE carries around here, and if I need to scrounge or scavenge that is the best bet for re-equipping, should things go very bad, and the wife can grasp that grip better than the 45. I could afford to have both. Plus I scored a Kel Tech Sub 2000 that uses the same mags as the model 22 Glocks, so it makes an interesting tuck away platform for me. I would prefer my AR 15 or better still my AR 10, but as a civilian neither are as portable or convenient. – B.P.

Letter Re: Kansas Bill

Sir, I am writing in response to the article link about the Kansas bill seeking to legalize police retaliation. I will first state that I do not agree with a second agency not being able to do an investigation– a fair and impartial investigation should always be the case. That said, I served 13 years in the infantry ending as an LRS team leader and currently serving with 15 years at a large, midwest police department. My department will take any complaint. A complaint can and has been taken over the telephone (even anonymously) with nothing more than the allegation of misconduct. With nothing more than, “Hey, he did something wrong,” I am standing tall on the carpet in front of the man. During those 15 years I have had numerous complaints. ALL incidents were recorded on audio and video by my in-car system and even some by the individual’s cell phone. These alleged acts of misconduct range from sexual misconduct, because the female made a verbal bomb threat, to tyrannical behavior with racial slurs over a traffic citation to excessive force when defending myself from someone nearly twice my size who pled guilty to resisting. I should NOT have to say in all these allegations I was found exonerated and the complaints false, but each time I am assumed guilty until I have proven myself innocent. I took an oath to serve and protect my state’s and the United States Constitution. I take those oaths very seriously. Now, there are some bad apples in the bunch, just as there are in any profession, but for the most part, the people I work with are honest. If they stray, we are quick to point it out and fix those that do. We consider ourselves the premier law enforcement agency in the area, and I take great pride in that. I pose one question with all that said. With this now being an entitled society (ask the youngsters I stop and they will tell you that), “Am I not entitled to some protection? Or am suppose to be society’s whipping boy until they need me because they lost their child or locked their child in their car or beat their child until it stopped crying?” Over all, the men and women I work with are good hearted and strive to do the right thing. My agency takes great pride in that. Again, I am not dispelling that there are a few bad apples in the bunch, but after 15 years, I wonder why I have spent my entire adult life in public service. As this bill may not be the perfect solution, I believe it is proposed to offer some protection to the outlandish lies of misconduct.

“For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” Romans 13:4

As the scripture is my (motto), it is for a reason. If you chose to post this, please post the scripture with it.

HJL Replies: While I certainly understand your position and can empathize with having false accusations often thrown at you, the bottom line is that you hold the power in any encounter with the general public. Our whole system is predicated upon the premise of the “strong” protecting the “weak”. In an increasing number of cases across the country, there exists the concept of “The Blue Wall of Silence” meaning that when a law enforcement officer crosses the line and abuses their position of power, the law enforcement agency may or may not hold a valid internal inquiry into what happened, but remain silent with no real explanation given to the public. The bond between officers is admirable, when dealing with life-threatening situations, but it’s repugnant when it hides true wrong doing on the part of the officer. The outrage the general public feels is only fed by such behavior. All it takes is one such incident to destroy the public trust with the local enforcement agency. I cannot excuse bad behavior on the part of the public, but a bill such as this, while good intentioned, allows the party in a position of power to act with no fear of consequences in an already tainted system. I commend you for your high standards in your agency. I only wish that all LE agencies operated with the same standards.

Odds ‘n Sods:

There is an epidemic of death and contagion sweeping across the farms of this country that is barely getting a mention in the mainstream media. Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus – K.F.

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A Dozen Uses For Empty Soda Bottles – R.J.

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Non-Christians Given ‘Special Consideration’ In Union Teacher Contract – TPY

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The Law Society has issued guidance on how to use Sharia Law in Wills, Trusts and Estates disputes in England and Wales. The guidance effectively enshrines Sharia into common legal practice for the first time and will make it easier to discriminate against women and non-believers. – H.L.

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Guide to American made products including tools. – M.A.

Notes from HJL:

We are ready to start looking for a new Product Review Editor.

Applicants must have an extensive background of varied experience in working with survival-related products, as well as have writing and editing experience. The ability to provide interesting, personal anecdotal stories relating to use of guns, knives, paracord, water storage, food preservation, and other survival-related items make the reviews interesting and is a much-valued attribute.

Products will be sent to the applicant with the expectation of written reviews. Most products must be returned to the manufacturer or sales person who sent them in for review. This editor position pays up to $100 per review.

SurvivalBlog maintains a high degree of separation between advertising and editorial, and the review editor is expected to maintain that separation. While the person in this position may be tempted to compromise, our editor must maintain the highest ethical standards.

Qualified individuals may submit their resume to us at the email or snail mail address listed on our contact page.

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Today we present another entry for Round 51 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. 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 gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand,
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589.
  3. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100 foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  4. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P .),
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. A full set of all 26 books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),
  8. EP Lowers, makers of 80% complete fiber composite polymer lowers for the AR-15 rifles, is donating a $250 gift certificate,
  9. Autrey’s Armory – specialists in AR-15, M4s, parts, and accessories is donating a $250 gift certificate,
  10. 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,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  12. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate.

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, and
  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.
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.

Round 51 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

What the Locals Really Think, by Gonzo

A lot of us, in the prepper community, are eager to get out of town, establish ourselves in the redoubt, and hunker down for the coming storm. Too often we put little thought in how the locals will receive us upon our arrival. Everyone knows that being integrated with your new neighborhood is important, but how you go about this integration can be the make or break point of your preps.

As an educational guide, I offer the following conversation that occurred between my cousin and I over chat recently. First, here’s a little background on my cousin. He is a fourth-generation homesteader. He lives in what could almost be called the center of the redoubt. He lives on land our great grandfather homesteaded. Our grandfather cleared the fields that he raises cattle and hay in. He lives in a home built by his father out of lumber cut and created on the site from trees on the property. Every day he is living the homesteader lifestyle.

Being so close to this lifestyle and way of living, he tends to be isolated on the mountain. He also tends not to notice preppers as they blend in with the local people and culture. Seeing people raise goats and chickens is normal and not noteworthy overall, even if they are new to the area. When I have talked to him about whether he has noticed the influx of preppers to the redoubt, his reply was, “Who?” His everyday life is the prepper way, so preppers are not noteworthy.

What does come across as noteworthy then and makes a good lesson in local relations and OPSEC? I will let him tell you in his own words.

4thGen Homesteader: That “the world is coming to an end, and the government is out to get us” guy had a party today.

Gonzo: Which guy is that?

4thGen Homesteader: The one that is the next driveway down from mine.

Gonzo: Is that the guy who built a concrete bunker and put the trailer on top of it?

4thGen Homesteader: Nope. That’s another crazy guy.

Gonzo: Then I don’t think you have mentioned this guy.

4thGen Homesteader: If you go one more driveway south of my driveway, it’s him.

Gonzo: Okay.

4thGen Homesteader: Anyway, he tried to throw a big party to get everyone to meet. What’s funny is I think he scared most people off because his invite went on about when the country collapses we should all get to know each other and blah blah.

4thGen Homesteader: You know I don’t know on that.

Gonzo: That’s funny. How long ago did he call for this meeting?

4thGen Homesteader: He sent out the letters about a month ago.

4thGen Homesteader: I showed because I felt bad for the guy.

4thGen Homesteader: Nice enough people. Little odd though; they’re vegetarian.

Gonzo: Did they just buy the place?

4thGen Homesteader: Just a about a year and a half ago.

Gonzo: Right. When I came out there two years ago, that place was for sale.

Gonzo: So you showed. Did anyone else?

4thGen Homesteader: XXXX and the XXXXs. I think everyone else that showed were already friends with them.

Gonzo: Well, that’s actually not a bad turnout, and yea, that’s the new thing amongst the prepper sites is to hold a sort of get-together.

Gonzo: For mutual assistance, et cetera.

Gonzo: Did the guys from the concrete bunker show?

Gonzo: Those are the ones to watch, I suspect. They are not preppers; they are survivalists and much better at being quiet.

4thGen Homesteader: I believe those folks are The XXXX, and I didn’t see any one with that name.

4thGen Homesteader: I just find it funny because a lot of these folks come here and just do what I’ve done all my life, and then they squawk about it like a chicken that just laid an egg.

4thGen Homesteader: Anyway, it’s not that big of a deal, but I thought you might want to know the latest stirrings in the area.

Gonzo: Well, I find it interesting.

Gonzo: As I have told you before, there is a market to teach what you know, because it is a dying skill. There are very few multi-generational homesteaders left.

4thGen Homesteader: This is true.

4thGen Homesteader: Where I have a hard time is that I have no idea the skills that people want to know about.

Gonzo: Yea. It’s hard to peel out parts of your day as teaching opportunities.

4thGen Homesteader: Sometimes I think something is really cool, and people are like “meh”. Other times I do things that are an everyday thing, and people are all, “Wow, you have a chicken!”.

4thGen Homesteader: In fact that’s a lot of what I did at that party today– answer questions about chickens.

Gonzo: We are talking people here who want to learn things like how to make a camp fire. Not only have they never built an outdoor fire, but no one in their family has in decades.

4thGen Homesteader: Well, I build a fire every day, in the winter.

Gonzo: How to heat your house with wood is another lost art. You don’t use a store-bought stove, a blower, or any electricity at all, just a huge, welded Frankenstein furnace in the bottom of the house, and it filters heat up through the floor boards.

Gonzo: I found it interesting the other day when my dad was telling me about the different type of apples out there and their role in early survival.

4thGen Homesteader: Macintosh. Wolf river. Transparents, and a crab apple tree once in a while.

4thGen Homesteader: Those are the ones I know about.

Gonzo: That’s also why there is so much rhubarb out there.

4thGen Homesteader: It’s stupid easy to grow.

Gonzo: It came up real early in the spring and gave early homesteaders vital Vitamin C, according to dad. It’s a bonus that it grows easy.

4thGen Homesteader: As I understand it, if you wander around the east side of the state, you’ll find yellow rose bushes and right next to it rhubarb.

4thGen Homesteader: People would bring those plants with them and plant them out the front door when they settled there. Now, a 100 years later, the house is rotten away, but the plants are still there.

Gonzo: Dad said he thought there was a starter pack that was handed out to the original homesteaders that contained all these things for their planting zone.

4thGen Homesteader: That might be. I just know the yellow roses and rhubarb were both popular.

Gonzo: Yea, but it’s illogical to think EVERYONE brought the same plants with them.

Gonzo: Dad said it was basically a survival package handed out so people would not starve. With that setup, they had Vitamin C all year long– Rhubarb early and rose hips later.

Gonzo: The apples come in at different times of the year also; that’s why they planted four varieties in their orchards. I suspect there were more plants in that pack, but things like the onions and potatoes are all gone.

Gonzo: So, anyways, you went to the meeting. Learn anything good?

4thGen Homesteader: Nope. It wasn’t organized at all, just people showing up and saying, “Hello.”

Gonzo: Yea, the mistake he made was including the government stuff in the invite. He should have made it about mutual assistance.

4thGen Homesteader: I agree.

Gonzo: He could have called it the “XXXX XXXX mutual assistance meet and greet” to come meet your neighbors and friends and establish bonds to last in case we have trying times in the future.

4thGen Homesteader: Now that would have worked much better. Jumping right to the end of days spiel kind of “weirded” some folks out. It weirded me out, and I was expecting that from him.

Gonzo: Yea. Its really hard to figure out what people will buy into.

4thGen Homesteader: I think his best bet would be to show up at the next pie social. Everyone would have been there.

Gonzo: It’s stupid because one guy might totally believe in space aliens and joke with the guy who believes in ghosts invading and vice versa, but one of the predominate threads that runs through prepper literature is a bit of an ego that they are going to save people. So, they don’t integrate properly, and then they come across like this guy did. That makes things worse, not better.

4thGen Homesteader: Good point, and you’re right. It’s a real “I’m going to save the world, so you should get to know me” kinda vibe.

Gonzo: I try to approach it more from the “something COULD happen so I want to prepare for ‘something’ with an order or probability”. The number one, for me, is a hurricane.

4thGen Homesteader: Around here a hurricane is probably not going to happen.

Gonzo: Yea. So, pitch the idea of a blizzard or forest fire. I would go with forest fire. That gets people talking about a real threat.

4thGen Homesteader: Yes. Forest fires are a pain. Blizzards are just annoying.

Gonzo: Plus, if they are prepped for a forest fire, or a blizzard, they are starting to be prepared for a lot of things with food on hand, water storage possibilities, et cetera.

Gonzo: I have always liked the idea of prepping for the “Zombie Apocalypse” because if you are ready for that, then you are ready for almost anything and the absurd “what if” nature of it gets you thinking about more possibilities you need to prepare for.

4thGen Homesteader: Who knows. Perhaps someday you will be invaded by zombie ninja pirate ghosts.

Gonzo: Could be, but until that happens I am also prepared for a hurricane, or a terrorist attack, that disables the local infrastructure. So what was the main theme? The government seizing your land?

4thGen Homesteader: Just the general “government collapse and comes to get us”.

Gonzo: See, that is the problem. It’s gonna take a LONG time for the government to get around to you guys, if something like that was to happen. If you have laid the infrastructure for another group first, like a self-help group, then it’s easier to convert that group to a government-resistance cell. It is very hard to start from that point. So, if you are going to get people interested, you have to start smaller or with a lowest common denominator threat that everyone can agree on.

4thGen Homesteader: I think you’re right. I would also be nice if the self-appointed leader had more skills.

Gonzo: That’s another good point. Too often the guy calling the meeting assumes that everyone should, of course, listen to him– the guy who moved in a year ago and is stupid enough to be a vegetarian in beef country.

4thGen Homesteader: …and was a vegan until a little bit ago.

Gonzo: Not knowing XXXX XXXX that well, I would think he might be a good choice. XXXX would not be terrible, or yourself.

Gonzo: It has to be someone who knows things. What did this guy do before he moved to the side of a mountain to save you all?

4thGen Homesteader: This guy was telling about how he became that way after going to a lecture on how much resources it takes to make a pound of meat versus a pound of lettuce. He decided to be vegetarian after that.

Gonzo: But that’s not the case at all. For example. you have 40+ head of cattle. They graze your fields. If you were to get rid of that cattle would you suddenly plant those 80 acres into vegetables? Even though you were no longer growing hay?

4thGen Homesteader: No. I would not

Gonzo: Right. So that “energy” put into beef is NOT the same energy put into vegetables, and since that is the case, his argument is flawed.

4thGen Homesteader: Like you said, he’s a vegetarian in beef country. That’s kind of insulting, in a way.

Gonzo: You didn’t say what he did before he moved out there, or how old he is.

4thGen Homesteader: He’s quite old. I don’t know how old but quite. He’s been retired for some time.

4thGen Homesteader: What he did be for that, I don’t know.

4thGen Homesteader: There were snacks.

Gonzo: Were they good snacks?

4thGen Homesteader: No.

4thGen Homesteader: There were corn chips and some homemade salsa, which was okay, and the cheese way okay, but they had some sort of salmon paste and humus– whatever humus is.

Gonzo: It’s ground chickpeas.

4thGen Homesteader: What’s a chickpea?

Gonzo: Dried chickpeas are really good, as a healthy substitute to chips.

4thGen Homesteader: I like chips.

Gonzo: Well, these are just as good and make an interesting change.

4thGen Homesteader: I don’t trust anything that says pea.

Gonzo: Is it because you’re a pea brain, and it’s too much like cannibalism?

For some reason our conversation took a turn for the worse at this point and had nothing more useful to add.

The take away here is the fact that as you move to align your beliefs to your actions, it is silly to try and change the culture you have relocated to, especially when that culture is the whole reason you went there in the first place.

You are far better off integrating into the culture and picking up the local ways and means. Go to the local churches, and find a congregation to join and participate in. Look for local hiking and history clubs to join and meet like-minded people. The ideal is not to call people to you but instead to find the naturally-occurring lines of communication and follow them. In my travels in the redoubt, I have found that it is a land of non-stop social events and get-togethers.

I would stress following local customs, where you can. There is no need to compromise your beliefs, but there is also no need to put them in other people’s faces. Telling people who raise cattle and chickens that you are a vegetarian is probably not going to win you any friends, as you can see. If you speak from a position of authority present your credentials to be checked.

Lastly, and this may be key, don’t skimp on the snacks. People, like my cousin, are suckers for free food. Avoid exotic stuff; sushi is another word for bait in those parts. Establish a reason for people to drop by and visit and talk. You will be amazed by how far a bowl filled with potato chips might take you.

Letter Re: Dual Ring Village

Regarding the comments on the Dual Ring Village.

Thank you for the comments and criticisms.

Objections noted:

  • Monolithic structures susceptible to urban fires.
  • Fire breaks missing.
  • Obsolete fixed fortification.
  • Susceptible to bombardment, siege.

These may be true. However, the outstanding features and functions of a dual ring village are not constrained to that of a defensive fortification against a military force.

Engineering benefits

The curved walls are self supporting, stronger than equivalent flat walls, and thus outperform rectilinear structures of the equivalent volume and surface area. The dividing walls further strengthen the inner and outer curved walls. The enclosed spaces are more energy efficient, having only two or three exposed surfaces, out of six faces. Massive barrier walls can resist side forces that would otherwise crush contemporary construction. In addition, such thick walls would provide protection from gamma radiation.

Consider the following natural disasters that might have been abated or dismissed if the locals were dwelling within five-story, monolithic, dual ring villages, fire resistant, constructed with massive barrier walls, and watertight gateways.

  • Hurricanes, with storm surge, flying debris;
  • Tornadoes, high wind and flying debris;
  • Flooding, ice dams, rainfall, tsunamis;
  • Mudslides;
  • Blizzards, snowstorms, with high drifts;
  • Forest fires;
  • Earthquake, meteor shockwave;
  • Vermin, insects, mold, mildew, pests, pestilence; and
  • Weather extremes (hot or bitter cold).

The solitary gated and fortified DRV may not stop a modern military force, but one does not leave one’s door unlocked and windows open because a determined burglar won’t be stopped by such feeble attempts at home security.

The intrinsic security aspects of a DRV with single gateways into each ring do offer a measure of protection against opportunistic predators, as well as providing enhanced security for children playing in the central park. (The gateway to the inner park could be 180 degrees from the main ring gateway, impeding any attempt at a snatch and run.)

Furthermore, the DRV can be part of a larger community composed of multiple DRVs clustered together. In that situation, a post-SHTF gang of MZBs would not be able to lay siege or attack all the DRVs without suffering significant losses. And the loss of one DRV would not spell doom for the others.

The same point can be said for a flood. A single breach of a levee might doom a traditional community. But a cluster of DRVs would not be at risk, if engulfed in flood waters. (In fact, with a little foresight, a drop down dock may be available to permit boats to tie up.)

The concept of layered defense is not new, and there’s plenty of archaeological evidence that walled compounds within walled cities was commonplace, to reduce the risk from intruders and predators.

In summation, the DRV might not be a Cheyenne mountain of defense, but it can be a wise precaution against natural disasters as well as man made disasters.

Economics and Investing:

Best & Worst States to be a Taxpayer – SDS

o o o

Quantitative Easing has been the fuel for rising inequality and welfare for the modern Gilded Age: President Fisher from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas mentions QE’s gift to the rich.

Items from The Economatrix:

The Federal Reserve Seems Quite Serious About Tapering – So What Comes Next?

Jim Sinclair: Russia Could Cause Gold To Hit $2000 In 2014

Fleckenstein – The Fantasy Is Alive & Well But The End Is Near

Do Not Make Fun Of Those That Have Fallen Out Of The Middle Class – You Could Be Next

Odds ‘n Sods:

From the Police State: Man receives felony after speaking too long at town hall meeting – H.L.

o o o

If you are planning on travelling to Russia, you may want to bring cash: Credit Cards Frozen at Sanctioned Russian Banks – B.R.

o o o

A disease flare up in Africa has an almost 50% fatality rate: 29 dead from viral hemorrhagic fever. – G.P.

o o o

It seems to me we have been here before… Could the U.S. Face a Cruise Missile Threat from the Gulf of Mexico?

o o o

More proof that reading government websites violates your privacy, if you can tolerate reading that far into the article. (You may feel sick to your stomach before you get to the place in the article, which outlines violations of your privacy by visiting government websites, because of the other intrusions into your private life that are outlined.) Big Brother Is Watching You Eat – G.P.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 1 Peter 1:13-16 (KJV)