Notes from JWR:

I’ve already received more than a dozen resumes in response to my mention of the Managing Editor position. Thanks! I will be starting the preliminary interviews and reference checking later this week.

—

Today we present another entry for Round 50 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $9,700+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) 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, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $300 Gift Certificate from Freeze Dry Guy. G.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. H.) A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com. The current value of this roll is at least $225, I.) Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad. They have a combined value of $195. J.) 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. and K.) APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit.

Second Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) 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. C.) A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100 foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P.), E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials F.)A full set of all 26 of the books published by PrepperPress.com. This is a $270 value, G.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value). H.) EP Lowers, makers of 80% complete fiber composite polymer lowers for the AR-15 rifles is donating a $250 gift certificate, I.) Autrey’s Armory — specialists in AR-15, M4s, parts and accessories– is donating a $250 gift certificate, and J.) 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.

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) 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, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security., E.) A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises. F.) Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and G.) Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies. This assortment has a retail value of $208.

Round 50 ends on January 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.

You Have To Start Somewhere, by Jason F.

As a blessed and married father of five, you continuously do what you can to make sure that all will go well on a daily basis.  Things like the car running, the roof not leaking, the kids having shoes on their feet, clothes on their back and family having food in their bellies.  Just recently I have been thinking more about the possibilities of a tragedy striking and the “what if” scenarios that could be involved.  You can call me crazy, concerned, or even paranoid but whatever the case may be, I want to be prepared.

I’ve never considered myself to be an apocalyptic nut or a survivalist of sorts.  I have to be honest with myself  though and admit that it completely terrifies me that I will not be prepared to take care of those around me, in which I love dearly, if it came down to the worst case scenario.

What would I do in the event an EMP does strike and all h*ll breaks loose?  What would happen to my family if in the event of an electric grid failure?  We would have no source of heat and any frozen food we did have would spoil.  At this point, when would store shelves be emptied from looting?  I could come up with millions of possibilities in which any could occur but what if it was an even simpler case?  What if I lost my job and my family didn’t have assistance?  When would I see cupboards bare?  Would it happen in a week?  In a month?  What would my next step be?

The answer?  Prepping.  Seems like a scary thing if you ask me.  I think about things like gas masks and warfare.  Maybe prepping is more than that though.  Maybe it’s just paying attention to what you have and making sure that you and those you love are taken care of.  What would I pay for something priceless?  How much time would I invest in something that I treasure?
I want to make sure that my family will have full bellies at the end of the night and that my provisions can handle those unfortunate courses of events if or when they did happen.  I wouldn’t do anything less on any other circumstance that means the world to me.  As an example, I have Band-Aids in the cabinet if anyone hurts themselves.  Heck, I have Band-Aids in the cabinet if my daughter looks at me and says she wants one for a doll which is obviously not bleeding out.

So now I look into the mass of confusion on the Internet which graciously lends me a hand as to where to start, what to do, what to pack, what not to pack, what to eat, what will spoil, etc.  You get the idea! It’s an absolute whirlwind.  It’s a violent tornado of best concepts which all will inevitably succeed or fail, time will only tell.

This morning I woke up reading a portion of a blog which quoted some studies from experts.  It stated that if the electric grid decided to crash east of the Mississippi “my location” that the mega transformers which supply us power would take 12-18 months to manufacture.  If this is true, I could be without power for 12-18 months?!  Along with this little tidbit of information, it also stated that we have 300 of these mega transformers that potentially could need replaced in a catastrophic event.  Where am I located on the list of first come, first serve in that scenario?  Here’s the scarier stat; if out of the 130 million people who would be affected by this scenario, it is also estimated that 117 million people would be dead within one year.  Hold on one second.  Within one year!  Gee!  I always thought we had things under wrap better than that.  I mean, I can go grab a gourmet pizza and some drinks and be home watching my favorite saved show with the family on any night of the week but this morning I read a stat that states in a blink of an eye all chaos is going to begin.  Nice.

So here’s my plan:  I am not going to pay attention to the hype.  I know myself.  I would drive myself completely insane if I was constantly looking for tragedy to fall on me.  In fact, I am a 100% sure that I would have a migraine by day three and an eye twitch by day seven or eight.  The year 2000 has indeed come and gone.  The Mayans failed to have a guy keep writing on their calendar.  At this point, I am confident that there have been thousands of other TEOTWAWKI scenarios that have come and gone and yet we are still here.
I asked myself if the impossibilities of something happening outweighed the possibilities of something not happening, would I rather be wrong or not be prepared.  This is what I answered myself, “Yes, you would rather be wrong but you should plan sensibly.” 

Reading another blog led me to a 52 week calendar which listed anything I should need if a tragedy occurred.  I needed to buy 50 lbs. of wheat on one of the weeks.  (Okay, where do I buy bulk wheat?)  I have 7 people in my family.  That means I need 350 lbs. of wheat.  In the same calendar year, there was another week that I was buying wheat yet again…700 lbs. of wheat waiting to be bought and stored in my house!  Now let’s do the same for rice at 150 lbs. per person.  At this point I would have to throw away the Christmas tree and décor, along with half of my childhood keepsakes, and still have 47 more weeks of stuff to buy.  At this point I’m done.  Or am I?

I know what my family will eat.  I know our habits and those that I don’t, you better bet that my wife will lend a helpful word of advice on where I am wrong on those opinions.  But, if I only looked at the 52 week “oh my gosh” calendar, even with the start path right in front of me, I would feel lost.  It also came to mind that if a crisis began halfway through the year on this 52 week plan we would only have half of our stock needed to survive.

Leaning against the kitchen island I ask my wife, “How many times a week do we eat green beans?”  Her answer was sweet and simple, “A few.”  I ask, “What about corn?”  She answered with a gently laugh, “Why?”  This is when I realized that I didn’t know anything about what my family eats and how we eat it. Thank God for my wife!  Per our conversation, I now know more realistic estimates of what we eat and how often we eat it.  Some of our kids will never eat one particular food but for others, it’s a favorite.

At this point we’re going to collaborate in buying canned goods on sale and if we have coupons, you better bet we’re going to use those too!  My wife says Chef Boyardee and Coca Cola are a must on that list.  I personally would love to have coffee on the list.  So it’s on the list as well.  I’m guessing with time and trial and error, we will be able to tweak this plan to accommodate our family.  Above all, essentials will come first…remember, sensible.

I have looked at the best by dates and found most canned goods are marked two-three years out.  That should give me ample time to use the previous year’s stock and then restock so nothing goes to waste. 
In the case that we would need more stock, I will locate the non-swelling, un-rusted cans from the stock of 117 million people which had a two year stock pile to feast upon and met an unfortunate demise.
Am I wrong?  Probably.  Initially I anticipated on buying a three years stock pile but I believe two is a fantastic start.

I am also looking into buying food grade buckets to store rice and beans in.  I have read that white rice stores better for longer, so I am going to start with white rice.  When I feel I have enough white rice, I will get bold and start buying brown rice. The dry beans…where to start?  I figure between the random assortments, we will buy what’s on sale and have a nice variety to choose from.  I still have some homework to do on researching bean spoilage.

I figure at the same point of time when shopping, if anything else looks good to me that will store nicely, I’ll make that purchase.  I laughed when I was talking this through with my brother in law.  I said, “Man, I’m going to buy Ramen!  If I get sick of beef, I always have chicken.  If I get sick of chicken, my backup is shrimp!”  It seems simple enough to just grab a few more items to throw on the shelves.
Also on the essential list will be water.  Lots of water!  Water will be needed for cooking, drinking and washing.  Though I do have a few ponds nearby, I am not sure that those will be suburban swim holes.  I’d rather take my chances with cleaner water for the cooking.

Last but not least, I need batteries and flashlights.  Kids are scared of the dark and at that point of time, I might be too!  Flashlights for everyone!  Oh, and fire starters.  I would like a few starter sets in which I could slowly work on perfecting before I need to use them in a crucial situation.

On the long list, I would like to start a larger garden than I already have.  I’ve been planning to buy heirloom seeds this year for planting so I can save the seeds for next year’s crop.  I can’t wait to can goods which we have grown with our bare hands, while my wife teaches our kids the principles and importance of self-sustaining.
I’m prepping.  At least beginning to and I am more than willing to take this journey because like I said before, I’d rather be safe than sorry.  Let’s face it, you have to start somewhere.

Letter Re: Charleston West Virginia’s Drinking Water Crisis

Mr. Rawles,
I noticed your reference to the water situation in the Charleston, West Virginia (Kanawha Valley) area. As of Saturday when I’m writing this, the water is suitable for flushing toilets and fire fighting but that is all. The town I live in (St. Albans) has their own independent supply, but most of the surrounding area is fed from the centralized West Virginia American Water Plant in Charleston. One plant serves a very large geographic area. I know when I first finished mechanical engineering school I could only find a job working for a small civil engineering company. We had to survey a water line expansion in Boone county near the small towns of Van, Twilight, and Bandytown. Fairly deep in the southern coal fields but not nearly as deep (feels kind of like a different world being raised near the valley) as McDowell county and the low volume coal fields. I could not believe the West Virginia American plant in Charleston was going to serve that far away from the city.

St. Albans has lines out the door at the laundromat and restaurants,. Even the Krogers [grocery store] was stripped bare, even of the toilet paper. The parking lots of the stores remind me of Christmas time when I was a kid in the late 1970s, prior to many of the strip malls being built and taking business from the business districts.

If the water had been cut off completely, unfortunately it probably would have very quickly required deployment of the National Guard. I passed one water relief station where they were giving out bottled water and it had a sheriff eyeballing everyone that went by even if you did not stop for water.

Making large complex systems helps for economies of scale, but a single point failure makes them far from robust. – Paul in West Virginia

News From The American Redoubt:

American Redoubt Darknet (ARD) an Introduction

   o o o

B.B. sent: EPA Changes The Borders Of Wyoming; Governor Appeals Decision. Here is another article about the situation, from the Casper Star Tribune: EPA: Riverton part of the Wind River Indian Reservation

   o o o

Not just Mag-Pul… Another Colorado company votes with their feet: Maverick Ammunition Coming To Laramie

   o o o

Idaho Cabin survives massive wildfire, then its assessed value goes up – Everyone else’s burned and their value went down…

   o o o

An interesting (albeit overly simplistic) infographic: The United States Of Shame – What Is Your State Worst At? It is noteworthy that they deride Idaho for: “Weakest Government Influence.” Well, gee… In my book, that is a genuine attribute! And Wyoming is singled out for “Fatal Car Crashes.” Yes, that is true, but daily work commute distances in The Equality State often exceed 50 miles, so it stands to reason that Wyoming residents are on the road at 75 MPH a lot more than many others. There aren’t many fatal car crashes in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

   o o o

Idaho County Passes Resolution Calling On State to Nullify Federal Gun Control

Odds ‘n Sods:

I was doing some web wandering, and discovered a great collection of WX links: Weather monitoring links — Satellite and RADAR for USA and world

   o o o

The latest Economist/YouGov poll shows that 39 percent of American households own guns, which represents a five percent increase over the number of gun owning households in 2012.

   o o o

James W. sent us this: Florida moves ahead with bill legalizing ‘warning shots’

   o o o

By way of Tam’s blog, I found this at The Shekel – Coins, Law and Commentary: Range Trip With The Tavor

   o o o

Connecticut’s new gun and magazine registration law is already manufacturing crime

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"It is strangely absurd to suppose that a million of human beings, collected together, are not under the same moral laws which bind each of them separately." – Thomas Jefferson

Note from JWR:

Dr. Cynthia Koelker (our volunteer Medical Editor) has announced a “Survival Medicine Double-Header” with back-to-back Survival Medicine 101 and 201 courses, running from January 27 to February 1, 2014 in St. Marys, Georgia (near Jacksonville, Florida.) There, you will learn basic and advanced techniques for suturing, splinting, casting, office procedures, major trauma, and much more.  You can see details at ArmageddonMedicine.net.

A Global Search: Seeking a SurvivalBlog Managing Editor

I am planning to hire a contracted Managing Editor for SurvivalBlog, sometime in the next two months. While I plan to continue on as Editor, I need some assistance with day-to-day editorial work. This position could be your ticket to living in the Boonies.

The locale for the new Managing Editor position will be “virtual”, meaning that our new hire can live and work anywhere on the planet where there is a stable high speed Internet connection. The pay for this 30 hour per-week contracted position will be up to $40,000 per year, depending on the candidate’s experience. Hiring preference will be given to disabled veterans. Good health, mental stability, an eye for detail, and a commitment to dedicate several years to this position are musts.

Responsibilities:

Work part-time on a flexible schedule, five days per week to:

1.) Schedule, assemble, edit, and post the majority of SurvivalBlog’s daily blog content.

2.) Receive, evaluate, and edit reader submitted letters and articles.

3.) Write topical articles, as time permits.

4.) Perform general correspondence secretarial duties. (Tactfully answering reader and advertiser queries, et cetera.)

Note: The selected candidate must have the desire to maintain the established editorial viewpoint of SurvivalBlog, such as the philosophical, religious, political stance outlined in JWR’s Precepts page and in my other writings.

Essential Skills, Knowledge, and Attributes

  • Strong editing skills. (This means at least two years of full-time editing experience or four years of part-time editing experience, preferably with an on-line publication.)
  • In-depth knowledge of survivalist/prepper topics and terminology.
  • English as your first language.
  • A keen eye for detail and wise discernment.
  • Excellent grammar, spelling, punctuation, and general journalistic knowledge.
  • Ability to edit writing that comes from amateurs to make it look professional, lucid, and even eloquent.
  • Several years of experience with writing and producing clean HTML-formatted content (either editing raw HTML, or via editing software.)
  • Familiarity with content management system (CMS) software, including Movable Type Pro.
  • Strong experience with Microsoft Word.
  • Willingness to meet daily deadlines.
  • Ability to work as part of a team, remotely. (You will be handing work back and forth to other editors.)
  • Ability to work on several small projects simultaneously.
  • Unfailing tact and discretion.
  • Keen ability to spot fluff, rants, self-promotion, seminar letters, paid link placement, and other attempted outside manipulation.
  • Willingness to conform to SurvivalBlog’s writing and editorial style.
  • Willingness to work a flexible schedule for five days a week and occasionally six days a week.


Desirable (But Not Crucial) Skills and Knowledge:

  • Familiarity with Dreamweaver software.
  • Familiarity with Fetch or other file transfer software.
  • Familiarity with database software such as SQL.
  • Familiarity with version control procedures and software.
  • A background in the medical field.
  • A background in electronics.
  • An interest in global politics and economics.
  • Solid knowledge of firearms and shooting terminology.
  • Some experience with spreadsheet software, such as Excel.
  • Familiarity with Adobe Photoshop and/or Adobe Illustrator software.

This position will be a strictly “work for hire” contracted position with no health benefits, with employment “at will.”
If you are presently available 30 hours a week and meet the qualifications described, then please send a cover letter and a detailed resume (with links to web pages that you have edited, in lieu of portfolio), via e-mail.

Note that because I’m likely to receive dozens or even hundreds of resumes and cover letters, I will probably not be able to send a personal reply to each.

Thanks in advance, to those who respond! – JWR

BHO’s Africa Policy: Confusion and Duplicity Reign

After many years of a “diplomacy and aid dollars only” approach in Africa, the U.S. government has begun active military intervention, north of the equator. Quite disturbingly, while outwardly appearing to be engaged a campaign against Al Qaeda and its allies, these interventions have effectively supported Muslims (particularly the radical Muslim Brotherhood) while abandoning Christians. Witness: Libya, Egypt, and Uganda (against Kony’s LRA.) You’ve all seen the headlines: In 2011, U.S. air power was used in Libya, to back largely Muslim rebels. In late 2013, BHO slashed long-standing military aid to Egypt, indirectly aiding that nation’s Muslim rebels. Hillary Clinton’s State Department has also managed to ruin the formerly friendly relationships with Morocco, Tunisia, Mali, and Algeria. Notably, Morocco’s de facto annexation of Western Sahara which had tacit acceptance from previous U.S. administrations since the mid-1970s is now a source of friction.

While the American No Fly Zone and aerial bombardment campaign in Libya was largely a success (despite some friendly fire mishaps) there were unintended consequences. One of these was that Dictator Gaddafi’s demise caused both a power vacuum and the displacement of many Libyan arms and vehicles, mostly to the south. Since 2010, Al-Qaeda and its allies have been gaining ground in northern Africa, and the change of government accelerated this. The Tuaregs and other rebels now control vast stretches of the interior of Mali and Algeria. Inside the U.S. Special Forces community, the BHO regime’s policies in Africa have been described as “confused, at best.” Green Beret trainers who once assisted pro-western and predominately Christian nations in Africa have been “re-tasked.” They have recently been training Muslims in Libya and Muslims in Mali. While the government of Mali is ostensibly anti-Al Qaeda, the recent history of the region has shown that allegiances can shift rapidly. It is feared that the Malian soldiers that are now being trained and armed by the U.S. might later end up in an alliance with rebel groups. Even the leftward-leaning editors of The Washington Post are troubled by the BHO/Clinton policy changes in the region.

Hillary Clinton’s trans-Sahara gambit has had unintended consequences, and has led many to question the long-term effects. If the end results are better-trained and better-equipped Muslims, then we must ask: cui bono? In a little-publicized campaign, American trainers and technicians have been dispatched to at least nine countries including Ethiopia, Djibouti, the Central African Republic, and Niger. Tons of war materiel have quietly been shifted out of Iraq and into north Africa. Large American drone bases are humming in the Seychelles, Djibouti and Ethiopia. (And theirs eyes are not focused on just Yemen.) Special Forces trainers are operating throughout the region, ostensibly to teach counterinsurgency. But given the proclivities of their students, could that training later be turned toward insurgency?

In a recent e-mail, a SurvivalBlog reader and veteran with recent experience in North Africa noted: “One thing that comes to mind is the embarrassing fact that a few years ago, when all of the separate countries in Africa were asked if they would be willing to provide the US a base to headquarter AFRICOM from, they all basically said, ‘h*ll, no.’ AFRICOM is still headquartered out of Stuttgart, Germany.” He also noted: “I know that when the Chinese go in to extract resources, they actually provide entire infrastructures, such as roads, complete hospitals, schools, etc., while the US’s  influence seems more military oriented, along with “Strategic Communications” (the new term for PSYOPS) than anything else. If anything, I think the US is losing at this game.” The same reader warned of China’s growing influence in Africa. For some background, he recommended the book Winner Take All: China’s Race for Resources and What It Means for the World.

Most recently there have been rumblings that the U.S. might side with the rebels in the fledgling nation of South Sudan. While the troubles in South Sudan are primarily inter-tribal rather than along religious lines, “the great unspoken” subtext is that South Sudan is nominally Christian, while Sudan is Muslim. Some of the old Africa hands see BHO’s rumored stance in South Sudan as intentionally destabilizing, and has the effect of favoring Sudan rather than South Sudan.

I recommend that Americans keep a close eye on foreign policy and military aid shifts in Africa. BHO and Company have their own carefully-calculated agenda, and it is apparently not in the best interest of either the American people or freedom-loving Africans. – JWR

Pat’s Product Review: Maxxeon 330 Pocket Floodlights

I still recall the days when most folks owned and used some type of D-cell flashlights, that held 2 of the big D sized batteries. And, while they were better than walking around in the dark, they didn’t throw a very bright light, nor was the light bright white – at best, they were yellow in color. And, to be sure, those old flashlight – that are still sold today – really used up the battery power in short order. I remember working as a cop, and using the Mag-Lite “police” flashlight, and the model I used (and I still own it) took 3 of the big D batteries, and it had a Krypton light bulb, which threw a whiter light than a regular bulb did. Still, it was lacking in many areas – especially size – it was big, and heavy.

Over the past few years, I’ve tested quite a few hi-tech flashlights, and continue to walk away amazed, at the small size of these flashlights, and the amount of light they put out, and the run-time of the batteries. One of the smallest lights I received recently for testing is the Maxxeon 330 Pocket Floodlight. Now, while this isn’t exactly a flashlight, it is considered a penlight, but not just any old ordinary penlight. I’ve owned quite a few little penlights, that fit in a shirt or pants pocket, via a clip, but none lasted very long, they were cheaply made, and they didn’t throw much light at all.

The Maxxeon 330 is quite a bit different than the run-of-the-mill penlights. First of all, it has 140 OTF (out the front) lumens, and it will temporarily blind a person if you point it at their eyes. Secondly, it takes three AAA batteries – many penlights take one or two AA batteries. Third, this thing is built like a tank, really tough. I also like the Realtree camo coating on the entire penlight – and it has a soft rubber coating and really allows you to keep a good grip on the light. And, we have a pocket clip, that can be slid up or down to adjust it to fit different pocket depths. The end cap is green and it glows in the dark, so this light is easy to find.

The light bulb inside of the Maxxeon 330 is a Cree XP-E, cool white, 3-watt bulb, and it is very bight, as already noted. The custom designed flood reflector creates a huge floodlight beam – no rings, no shadows, no hot spots. The lens is AR coated glass, and is easy to replace if broken – however it is fairly well protected in that, it is recessed back a little from the end of the penlight. The body of the 330 is T6 aluminum – strong stuff. Run time with 3 AAA alkaline batteries is 2 hours to half brightness, and 4 hours of useable light with typical intermittent use – impressive, to say the least.

Overall length of the Maxxeon 330 is 6 1/2 inches – just slightly longer than most pens and pencils and it only weighs 1 ounce – you will readily forget you’re carrying it. It has a click on click off button, and a half-press momentary on. And, it comes complete with three AAA batteries, too.

I’ve been using the 330 for two months, in my backyard – when I let my dogs out for their final “business” run – and my backyard isn’t nearly as big as my huge front yard is – still, it is about 50 feet across and 20 feet wide, whereas my front yard is 25 yards wide and about 200 feet long. My backyard is fenced-in, for a dog kennel. When I let the dogs out – and I have four German Shepherds – it is dark at night – can’t see the dogs without a light source of some kind. The Maxxeon 330 completely lights up my backyard – just like a real floodlight does. Of course, it isn’t super bright at the far end of my yard, still, I can easily see all my dogs, and my guest house that is next door. I can also see through the dense brush and trees behind my house, too.

I work on firearms all the time, either cleaning, repairing or doing “whatever” and I’ve found the 330 to be very useful for seeing inside of  guns – it helps my aging eyes see things they might have ordinarily missed. Quite frankly, this little penlight is a real blessing to me, when working on firearms.

The Maxxeon 330 comes with a one year warranty against manufacturers defects, and it retails for $43.95 – a bit spendy you say might say, for a “mere” penlight? Well, once you get a 330 in your hands, and see how bright it is, you’ll want one…this is no ordinary penlight – this little penlight throws a floodlight of light, and does so for quite a distance. It easily lights up an entire room in my house, too. Be sure to check out the Maxxeon web site for full details and ordering information on the 330 – you’ll be as impressed as I was, and I’m thinking about getting another one or two – for around the house and for the wife’s purse, too. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Pat’s Product Review: Signal Armor

These days, many people are concerned about their privacy, and I admit to being somewhat concerned myself. I recently took down my Facebook page – after it was hacked three times this year. So, if anyone sees a Facebook page with my name on it – it’s not my Facebook page – someone hacked my original page, and made one false Facebook page that looks similar to the real one, and the second one doesn’t even come close to being like my original. Additionally, I found that it was too time-consuming keeping up with everyone’s newest Facebook page posts.

Also, folks are more than a little concerned about the recent news of the National Security Agency (NSA) spying on our phone calls, e-mails and conversations – and with good cause. While I have nothing to hide in my e-mails, conversations and phone calls, I still don’t like the idea of the FedGov spying on my privacy. And, as everyone knows, anything you say, no matter how innocent it might be, can and will be taken out of context if the FedGov is determined to arrest you for something – it happens all the time.

In the past, I know that my e-mails were clumsily looked at by someone – I’m fairly certain it was the FedGov. Anytime I mentioned the words AR-15 or AK-47 in my e-mails, it took those e-mails several days to reach the intended party they were meant for. However, without those “catch” words, e-mails went right through – with those words, it sometimes took as long as 3 or 4 days for the e-mails to reach whoever I sent them to. I also ran a company, many, many years ago, called Rescue One – and we were registered with InterPol as a private intelligence and investigations agency, and I had offices in Athens, Greece and Cape Town, South Africa – as well as in the US. And we know mail between offices had been opened and read – it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that our mail had been opened and read. Funny thing was, a lot of the work we did was contract work for one of our own intelligence agencies. Whatever!

These days, I’m almost to the point of just tossing my cell phone away, it gets annoying at times, especially with text messages. Whatever happened to good ol’ fashioned phone conversations between friends? Conversation is a dying art, it would appear. And, everyone is probably aware of the continuing news of the NSA spying on our phone calls – it’s in the news daily. And, until now, it was hard to stop anyone from listening to your phone calls.

Signal Armor‘s new zip-lock portable Faraday cage design. Anyone not familiar with Michael Faraday’s design, can research it. Just a short mention here, Faraday invented a “cage” that protects  an implement from static electricity. It can also protect electrical appliances from an EMP attack, too.

The Signal Armor bags consists of four layers, one is a heavy duty outer layer, another is an additional protective layer under the first, and an anti-static protective layer and the zip lock closure. It’s all pretty simple when you exam it. And, it also protects your cell phone by making it waterproof when you place your cell phone inside the bag and zip it closed.

I was intrigued by the Signal Armor concept, and wanted a way to test it. Lacking an EMP attack, I placed a Family Radio Service (FRS) two-way radio in the bag, and zipped it closed. I then tried to take my second FRS radio and attempt to communicate with the first radio – no luck, the signal didn’t get through. I then took my cell phone, placed it in the Signal Armor bag, zipped it closed, and had one of my family members try to call my cell phone – several times – and each time, their calls were immediately sent to my voice mail – no signal got through to my cell phone, when it was inside the Signal Armor bag.

Now, the Signal Armor bag won’t protect all your cell phone calls – because you have to take your cell phone out of the bag to make or receive calls. However, when your cell phone is inside the bag, and it is zipped closed, no one can activate your cell phone and listen in on any conversations you might be having in your home or car. Not a bad start, to assuming some of your privacy back. Of course, when your cell phone is out of the bag, the NSA or whatever government agency will be able to listen-in on your phone calls, or even turn on your speaker, and they can listen to conversations in your room. Still, the Signal Armor bag isn’t a bad idea if you have concerns about your cell phone privacy.

We’ve all probably heard the saying “just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean someone isn’t out to get you…” and these days, privacy seems to be a thing of the past for the most part. So, if you want to regain a tiny bit of your privacy via your cell phone, the Signal Armor is a good first step. Someone asked me how well the bags would work against an EMP attack. Well, to be quite honest, I don’t think it matters. If there is an EMP attack, and everyone’s cell phones, cell towers, computers and all electrical products are fried – then what difference would it make if you cell phone still worked? You wouldn’t have anyone you could call. Stop and think about it!

The Signal Armor bags sell for $8.49 and the company is designing larger bags for other purposes and uses. So, if you have some concerns about your cell phone privacy or an EMP attack, then pick-up a couple of these neat little bags. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: Building Your Own No-FFL AR From an 80% Complete Receiver

Dear JWR,
The mere fact that folks such as Carl X. and C. are discussing, researching, and indeed, well informed on the subject of 80% lower receiver completion gives me hope! I can’t begin to express just how pleasing it is that good people are informing themselves on the subject. Anyway, I’d like to clarify a couple of things, if I may?

As C. notes, an inexperienced builder will likely spend at least two hours milling and shaping the fire control pocket. However, a slip of the Dremel does not necessarily mean the blank’s doom. One must remember that the pocket is hidden by the upper receiver, and the only one that will know of the boo-boo is the one completing the lower receiver. Further, said boo-boos can easily be repaired by mixing the polymer shavings with JB-Weld — which is machinable when fully cured — to maintain surface consistency. I’ve been a gunsmith hobbyist for about 22 years now and have my own machine shop, and my own jigs that insure a reliable machining job. But after consulting with a couple of fellow enthusiasts, we’re of the opinion that structural integrity and a uniform surface can be achieved in this fashion. In fact, I proved it with a lower I had lying around by deliberately marring a side and repairing it in that fashion. Again, I stress
patience and the operator WILL be pleased with the end product. EP Armory is that good with their quality control! Completion is a cinch: just remove the white and smooth the ridges flat. Any other fine lapping to make the trigger and hammer smooth is unique to the chosen lower parts kit. One only needs to take their time.

As for legality concerning the 80% lower receiver: the prospective owner should consult their state and local officials until they are completely satisfied that they operating within the constraints of the law! The language in the BATFE’s self-manufactured firearms laws are very clear: the firearm must be self-manufactured, which means ‘build parties’ are technically illegal, although impossible to enforce. Personally, I make every effort to operate within the constraints of the law, and would recommend that everyone exercise solid and legal judgment. After all, some states are ambiguous and sometimes outright hostile on the subject, and protecting one’s family is impossible to do from behind bars. So … research, research and research again! And do make an effort to buy a letter and number stamping kit for serial number application. It also never hurts to have your receipt for the lower laminated and on your person when hunting or target shooting. I’d hate to see a new AR owner detained for hours by an officer that demands to inspect their rifle, and is ignorant of the law! Been there … done that…

Again, it’s good to see folks that are genuinely interested in the subject! Self empowerment is a heck of a morale boost! You’ll save a few bucks and be proud of your handiwork! Not to mention the fact that you’ll end up with a rifle that will serve you well, should the unfortunate need arise…

God Bless and thank you for your interest everyone, – Nomad

Recipe of the Week

C.B.’s Potato Soup Plus

Several years ago while shopping at a Sam’s Club warehouse store, my wife and I picked up a can of “Johnny’s Creamy potato” soup mix. It’s a 2-pound can of dehydrated soup mix that serves 24 with a good shelf life. The can on my stove top is at least a year old and has a 2014 date on it. Follow the instructions for a good potato soup or do what I do I make a serving for 8 (8 cups water boiling and 2 Cups of mix) and then when almost done add a small can of chopped clams, a can of creamed corn, a can of drained whole corn, 4 fried and crumbled bacon strips, half the bacon grease. It makes a good hearty quick meal in 30 min. or less on a cold snowy night.

Some Variations: Add a can of chopped fried spam, more vegetables like carrots, onions, celery, celery seed, clams, and fish for a seafood chowder, canned chicken or turkey or leftover turkey or Ham from Thanksgiving or Christmas. Throw in some cooked rice and cream of what ever soup. When cooked stir in some beaten eggs and then bake it for a casserole.

The ideas are endless and since we live in earthquake country. (The 1964 quake is always on our minds even though we weren’t in Alaska then, we are now.) We keep several cans of this soup mix in the house along with several cans of Spam, Dak Ham and other stuff to mix in with it. I don’t have to worry about it freezing so I have several cans in my go pack also along with the stuff to mix in it (a 29’ Winnebago fully fueled with extra tanks of gas and propane and a separate propane camp stove so we don’t use the coach propane for cooking only for heat in winter and while the water system is winterized I have several collapsible camping water jugs 2/3 full for freezing expansion for melting when my house jugs go dry.)

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Ore-Ida’s Easy Potato Soup Recipes

Food Storage Recipes

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