Help for the New Prepper, by Don H.

 Many of us that have been prepping since before the Internet have welcomed all the new information, knowledge, and interaction with our fellow preppers. But for someone who is just starting out, it can all be overwhelming. So overwhelming that they don’t know where to start. The sad part is that many of them don’t start. They feel that they have to  spend so much money at one time to get all the gear that the experts say they need, that they just can’t do it. This is in large part due to shows like Doomsday Preppers. While I watch these shows regularly, and enjoy them, they are, in my opinion, a two edged sward. They have made many people aware of the need to start preparing for _______(fill in the blank), but they also go so far beyond the basics (where we all started)  that they leave the new prepper with the wrong idea of how to start.
 
None of us started out with everything we needed. For some of us, we had no idea what we would need. We knew we had to prepare, maybe we had a vague idea what we were preparing for, and a kernel of a plan in the back of our minds. Before the Internet came along, we had to search through stacks of books and magazines for information. If we were lucky, we found a survival school nearby. We slowly built up our supplies, made a Bug Out bag, practiced our skills, and continued the search for information, gear, and more skills.
 
For those that are just beginning, I am glad you found this site. It will offer you many tips and suggestions. The gear, gadgets, and most of the advice have all been tested. The advertisers have all been vetted, so if you choose to purchase their products (and I hope you do as they help keep this site up and running) you can be assured that they will deliver on their promises.
 
I hope that with a few tips, the new prepper will continue to become prepared and will continue to seek knowledge to help them and their families become more self reliant. The tips and suggestions I offer are based on my own experience, I do NOT consider myself an expert. In fact I learn more each and every day. I have had to replace my bag a few times, often on a very limited budget. These suggestions have helped me through the years, that is why I offer them to you. These suggestions are for a bug out kit, not a bug in kit. (although it can be used for both)
 
By way of introduction, I am 44 years old and I have been prepping since I was in my teens. I took my first survival course at 16 in the Sierra Nevada mountains. I am a Nurse and an EMT, I have also been a volunteer fire fighter and a storm spotter. I have been through ice storms and tornadoes in Oklahoma, and earthquakes and forest fires in California.
 
When you pack your bug out kit, think of the five priorities you have; Water, Food, Heat, Shelter, and Security. Everything you need in your bag falls into one of these five categories. You need to try to have at least three days worth of supplies. Of course, if you can’t have that at first, remember that something is better than nothing.

WATER–
  A source of water would be your first criteria for your bug out location. (I will talk a little about this later). The recommendation is one (1) gallon of water per person, per day. So you would need 3 gallons of water for your own use. That would be about 24 pounds (8 pounds per gallon, approximately). Since most people can not carry more than 50-60 pounds for more than a short time, I suggest carrying two liters and having a way to purify or filter the rest. (search You Tube for your best choices on how to do this)Two liters should last you through most of one day’s drinking requirements. I prefer to carry mine in military style canteens, with a military style canteen holder and canteen cups. An alternate method would be using 2 one liter bottles or a two liter bottle such as a clean soda bottle.

FOOD–
 In my bag I usually carry three MREs, three dehydrated meals I made myself, a few food bars, a jar of peanut butter, M&Ms, and several pieces of hard candy and gum. Hard candy can provide sustained energy by keeping your blood sugar up while burning more calories than normal, but can also keep your mouth moist when exerting yourself. If you carry canned food, which is heavier but easier to come by when first packing your kit, make sure to pack a can opener. Also make sure you pack eating utensils. You would be surprised at the number of people who forget these.
 
Remember to check your food often for expiration dates. I do this by setting my e-mail ca lender to send me reminders a few days before I go shopping at the beginning of each month. That way I can check everything and add it to my shopping list as needed. Anything about to expire gets eaten or donated so nothing goes to waste.
 
HEAT–
 Like me, many of you have watched the various survival shows and watched while they made a fire out of whatever is handy. Building a fire this way is a great skill to have. You may need it, and if nothing else it builds your confidence. But, as my first instructor told me “It’s easier to flick a Bic than rub a stick”. That’s the reason I never leave the house without a lighter and a pocket knife. Disposable lighters are easier to dry than matches, or even a Zippo lighter, if they become wet. I carry all three of these with me in my bag or on my person. The matches are in a water proof container (available at almost any sporting goods store) along with a small piece of sand paper, since I have found that “Strike anywhere” matches actually do NOT work everywhere.  You should also pack some type of tender in your bag. I have cotton balls, dryer lint, paper (from the note book I carry) and I always have a few business cards in my wallet and in my bag (most sales people and many other businesses will be more than glad to give you one or two). There are also commercial fire starting fuels out there like Trioxane. A small saw and hatchet are also part of your heat providing gear. There are many choices out there for these items, so do your research and choose the best ones for you.

SHELTER–
In this category would be the clothes you wear and pack. You should have a sturdy pair of shoes or boots, at least two extra pair of socks, long pants ( I always pack jeans or military style BDUs) a long sleeve shirt (I pack either a work shirt like Dickie’s brand or, again, BDUs) and a cap or hat that can shade your eyes and keep your head warm.
  
You should also have a good sleeping bag appropriate to your climate and season, and a small water and wind proof tent. I like to have a few hand warmers as well as a good pair of insulated gloves, and a pair of work gloves for handling wood, rocks, etc. My bag also has a military surplus folding shovel and carrier that hangs on it. This is used for digging a fire pit as well as sanitation and preparing a shelter area.
 
A roll of duct tape is also useful, both for securing and repairing your shelter. as well as repairing almost anything else. I also have a Multi-tool so I have small wire cutters, screw drivers, etc handy to help repair anything that breaks.
 
If you have never built a shelter, you can start learning on YouTube or similar site online. Once you have watched it done, practice you methods of choice until you have it down pat. It is never as easy as it looks.

SECURITY
When most people think of security in a SHTF scenario, they think of firearms. While I believe everyone should have a few of those and the training to use them properly, they are not the only form of security.
 
First aid is also a vital part of your security. Being able to treat wounds or illness is vital to being and staying alive. If you have never taken a first aid course, do so. They are available almost everywhere, and they are cheap or free. Most commercial $10 first aid kits come with a small first aid handbook. Study it. Once you have chosen a first aid kit appropriate to your level of training, check it often and replace anything that is expired, just as you do your food.  Many people have written about this topic, from lay people to doctors, so I will not go into it again. Search out these articles, essays, videos, and books, then practice the skills described in them.
 
Hygiene is also important. Staying clean is the first step in fighting disease. Having a place away from your shelter and water source to “do your business” is very important. You should have a bottle of hand sanitizer in your kit. I would recommend having a complete hygiene kit in your bag that has anti-bacterial soap along with a wash cloth and small towel. You can also pack shampoo, and deodorant in there if you choose. Make sure you have a toothbrush, tooth paste and dental floss in your hygiene kit, as well feminine hygiene products if you need them. The one thing a lot of preppers seem to forget is toilet paper. So pack that too. If you wear glasses, then get an extra pair and keep them in your Bug Out Bag in a hard case, as well as a repair kit for them. If you wear dentures, make sure you have your cleaning and care supplies in your bag.
 
For me, one of the most important security items I have is a Bible. The one in my G.O.O.D. bag is the same small Gideon one I was given when I joined the army. The New testament, with Psalms and Proverbs, has given me very good sense of security all of my life.

The next step is finding the place you will be bugging out to. As I mentioned, you will want a place with a good source of water. You also want to have a place (or places) that has good security, or that you can quickly make secure. Your site should be away from whatever disaster you are getting away from. And it’s location should never be shared with anyone outside your immediate family or group. When the excrement hits the oscillating device you don’t want everyone and their brother trying to show up at your retreat.

The most important piece of gear you have in the one above your neck and between your ears. I can not stress enough how important your mental attitude is. Having the right mindset is the most important skill in surviving any situation. Whether you are preparing for total societal collapse, or the more common natural disasters, you can not survive unless you want to survive.  Mental preparation is the most important preparation you will do. Think about the two or three most likely disasters, then prepare for them. After that you can go on to preparing for any other disaster you think may happen.
 
By finding the SurvivalBlog site and reading the notes, articles, and essays in it, you have already taken the first step. By thinking about and following through with making a BOB, you are on your way to being able to get through almost any disaster.
 
I personally invest at least an hour each day to my preps. This can be anything from reading magazines, blogs, or books (which I do every day) to cutting wood, to food preservation and storage, to learning a new skill or practicing one I learned already. I practice one of my bug out plans at least once each month, and my bug in plan at least twice a year. I also try to exercise at least three times a week. Sometimes that is walking, sometimes I combine exercise with other activities, such as cutting, splitting, or stacking wood. In colder months I use a tread mill and do calisthenics inside.
 
I hope this has helped at least a few people to become more self reliant. Remember that you can not count on anyone but your self to come to your aid in an emergency. Good Luck, Good Prepping, and God Bless.

Letter Re: Manual Hair Clippers

Jim,
I enjoy your blog very much, have been following it for years. Keep up the good work.
 
On the many lists of items preppers are encouraged to obtain, I have never seen hair clippers suggested.  An essential item.
(By hair clippers I mean manual, not electric.) – Pastor D.

JWR Replies: Although they are probably still made in India and China, the best place to find traditional clippers is used, via eBay or Craigslist. If they are well-made and aren’t rust-pitted, even a century-old pair of clippers will probably last another century. Just be sure to keep them well-oiled.

News From The American Redoubt:

More evidence that wolves are called “land sharks” for good reason: Wolves kill 176 sheep near Victor, greatest loss recorded in Idaho . (Thanks R.B.S. for the link.)

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Colorado’s Secession Wildfire Spreads to Northern California: Siskiyouans Raise “State of Jefferson” Flag.

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Top 25 firearms businesses in Idaho come together, expand awareness. (Thanks R.B.S. for the link.)

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I heard that Harrison Gear (in Bozeman, Montana) has been harassed by the management of PayPal. It is Harrison’s 80% complete receivers that are the issue. (PayPal is attempting to force them to remove all mention of their 80% receivers from their web site, which is egregious prior restraint.) If you want to buy an 80% AR lower, then please buy it from Harrison Gear, to show your support. Even if they are forced to removed that particular web page, rest assured that they still have some 80% receivers–but you won’t be able to pay for them via PayPal. Call: (406) 404-4084 to place an order that can be discreetly paid via USPS Money Order.For any firearms-related purchase it is best not to leave a paper trail (or a trail of electronic cookie crumbs), regardless.

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9th Circuit Blasts Montana Buckaroo Rifle Plan (A tip of the hat to H.L. for the link.) Of course it is already ILLEGAL for private parties to sell post-1898 guns across state lines, so what’s the beef? No Federal nexus means no Federal jurisdiction!

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Fascinating: The U.S. map would look like if each state had the same population. (Thanks to Anthony in Pennsylvania for the link.)

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Tiny Philipsburg, Montana, Pop. 840, Launches Yearlong Campaign to Attract New Residents

Economics and Investing:

Hi-yo silver! (I hope that you folks bought during the summer doldrums, as I had suggested.)

Is Europe still in crisis? “Eurogeddon” was the buzzword on everyone’s lips in 2011. But is a euro recovery real or imagined?

Community South Bank, Tennessee, Becomes Second Largest Bank Failure of 2013

Items from The Economatrix:

Peter Schiff: The Market That Lives By QE Dies By QE

Moody’s eyes downgrade of biggest US banks

Asia Shocks West By Demanding Their Gold Be Sent Home

Odds ‘n Sods:

First look inside famous Cold War nuke vault. Under a McDonalds hamburger place in downtown Los Alamos, New Mexico!

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Leaked: German Government Warns Key Entities Not To Use Windows 8 – Links The NSA

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I recently asked if someone made a set of stencils for camouflage spray-painting rifles and other field gear to replicate popular camouflage patterns, such as Woodland pattern. Yes, there is a company that makes them. And as previously mentioned, similar stencils are also available from the makers of Duracoat, Lauer Custom Weaponry. Just be sure to use flat (no gloss) paint with them.

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Representative Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.) and Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) are sponsoring legislation which amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to include a 20 percent tax on handguns and a 50 percent tax on ammo.

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Curtis R. sent this news from Arkansas: Pistol-Packing Private School Takes Aim at Bad Guys

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B.B. spotted this troubling news: ATF advances executive gun controls with proposed trust rule change. [JWR’s Comment: You can probably expect to read about a “run on suppressors”, as trustees rush to stock up on “cans” before this proposed change takes effect.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Did you ever see the beauty of the hills of Carolina
Or the sweetness of the grass in Tennessee
And Lord I can’t make any changes
All I can do is write ’em in a song
I can see the concrete slowly creepin’
Lord take me and mine before that comes.” – From the lyrics of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s All I Can Do Is Write About It.

Understanding The Process of Freeze Drying Food, by Thomas Baldrick

To understand freeze drying there is less to digest than you might think. If you’re into survival, freeze dried food is your friend. It’s a good friend because you’ll enjoy it and feel good having it around. Like a weapon, a partner or a loyal dog, it serves as your trusted companion… always there for you when you need it most. Now let’s explain the process of freeze drying food and understand how this friendship begins.

What is Freeze Drying?
While today’s freeze drying industry is powered by some really smart people and super high tech equipment, the concept remains fairly simple and straightforward.
The process of freeze drying food removes moisture from a frozen material in a way which allows it to retain the benefits of its original form, aroma, taste, texture, and nutritional value.
Freeze drying is the most natural proven approach to food preservation. It delivers positive results for easier and extended food storage guaranteed to last for decades.

Why Freeze Dry?
There are three main reasons behind the strategy of freeze drying food. It is an exit, maintain, and return strategy.
1. Exit: You completely remove water in foods from A to Z (apricots to zucchini).
2. Maintain: You keep in the taste, nutrients, and composition of the food.
3. Return: You open the food sealed and preserved in cans or packets when you want or need it most.

  • Freeze Drying Fights the Bad Guys. Removing water prevents food from spoiling. Bacteria and other microorganisms feed on food and release chemicals causing it to decompose. For humans, this can simply mean experiencing bad tasting food, or illness and disease in worse cases. Additionally, enzymes react with oxygen to create the ripening and spoiling of many foods.

Freeze drying food fights bacteria and other microorganisms because just like human beings, they require water to survive.

  • Freeze Drying Provides Longer and Lighter Results. Today, quality freeze dried foods guarantee a shelf life of at least 25 years. This makes it the ideal solution for long-term food storage and those with a survival mindset.

Freeze-drying also significantly lessens a food’s total weight. Most food is largely made up of water. Removing the water makes the food up to 90% lighter and therefore easier to lift and transport near or far.

  • Freeze Drying Waits Until You are Ready. Storing food which doesn’t spoil helps you to survive. But locking in the great taste is what makes it truly enjoyable. Freeze dried food even decades after the process is the fastest rehydrating food there is. Simply add water, wait a few minutes, and then get ready to enjoy food which tastes, smells, and looks much better than your mind tells you it could or should.

Who Started Freeze Drying and When
The process of freeze drying food is built upon the methods of ancient civilizations. There are traces of freeze drying food dating back to 9th century Asia. Ancient Indians high in the Andes Mountains were also said to practice their own form of freeze dried foods.  

In 1813, William Hyde Wallaston pulled the freeze drying process forward in a big way with a very cool discovery. In a presentation to the Royal Society in London, he introduced a procedure known as sublimation.
Wallaston detailed his work for developing the fundamental process of directly converting liquid in a frozen (solid) state to a gaseous state (vapor). Sublimation is just like evaporation. It is able to occur when a molecule gains enough energy to break free from the others around it.

During World War II, there was tremendous need for human plasma due to the alarming high rate of battle related casualties. With the help of emerging developments in vacuum systems and mechanical refrigeration during these times, freeze drying was used to assist in improving the storage of human plasma.  

Later, the U.S. Military again turned to freeze drying as a solution. Freeze dried foods were introduced to Special Forces as a way of improving upon its bulky and bland C-Rations and other foods given to the troops. NASA did the same for feeding its astronauts on space missions where weight and space are critical factors for success and survival.   

Freeze Dried Foods are now a staple in the U.S. Military and Space programs as well as throughout American society. As much as many people love to bash the U.S. Government for its inefficiencies and corruption, the government rightly deserves credit for its efforts in the advanced freeze dried foods we have around the world today.

Beyond the food industry, a number of other sectors have warmed to the idea of the freeze-drying process. It is commonly used by florists and taxidermists, museums and insurance companies for repairing and restoring water-damaged items, and is an increasingly important factor in the pharmaceutical industry.

How the Freeze Drying Process Works
Rooted in Wallaston’s Sublimation procedure, modern freeze drying machines consist of the following components. A freeze-drying chamber, shelves connected to heating units, a freezing coil attached to a refrigerator compressor, and a vacuum pump.

Successful freeze drying is done in a 3-step process which takes many hours or even days. The food is freeze-dried in a system which converts ice directly into water vapor. This skips the liquid phase completely. Freeze drying bypasses the need for applying high-temperature heat necessary for creating the evaporation process.
1. Cooked or fresh food is flash frozen solid. This locks firmly into place the shape, nutritional value, taste, texture, aroma, and appearance of the food.
2. The frozen food is then placed into a vacuum chamber. A cold condensing surface helps to attract the ice vapor. Inside the temperatures are as low as minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Usually roughly 98% of the moisture from the food is removed through evaporating the ice.
3. The freeze dried food gets sealed by securely placing it into oxygen and moisture and oxygen barrier packaging. The preserves the food’s freshness until you are ready to open it.
After the freeze drying process it shows its superior value and versatility for survival planning and long-term food preservation needs.

  • Unlike standard frozen foods, freeze dried foods do not require consistent low temperature conditions.
  • Unlike standard canned foods, freeze dried foods are not exposed to high temperature processing which can negatively impact the nutritional value, texture, and taste. 

In essence, freeze dried food offers the best of both the frozen and dehydrated food worlds. It removes the moisture and spoiling, but maintains the beauty and convenience of looking, smelling, and tasting fresh.  The process of freeze drying makes it an ideal solution for those who see the common sense and realistic value of having survival food on hand when you need it.

Knowing the benefits of the freeze drying process, I’m sure you can see the importance of having freeze dried food in your survival food plan.

About The Author: Thomas Baldrick is an executive manager at Freeze Dry Guy, a supplier of freeze dried food and other emergency preparedness items. The company was started in 1970 by a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran. They’ve been a SurvivalBlog advertiser for six years without any complaints from customers.

Advice on Come-Alongs

Reader L. in Tucson recent wrote to ask for some guidance on buying come-alongs for his new retreat ranch in northern Arizona. Here is my advice:

Ratchet cable hoists (commonly called “Come-Alongs”) are crucial tools for life on a retreat and for off-road driving. They have umpteen uses for everything from wire fence stretching to lifting elk carcasses for butchering. These should be purchased in pairs, for the greatest versatility.  We keep four come-alongs here at the Rawles Ranch: Two that are 2-ton capacity and two that are 4-ton capacity.  All four are American-made, by Maasdam under the trade name Pow’R Pull. I highly recommend them.

I recommend that you carry at least one come-along–together with a tow chain and a choker chain–whenever driving off of paved roads in any season. And in winter months this gear should be carried even when traveling on pavement.

Keep your come-alongs well-oiled and out of the elements and they will give you many years of service. Inspect the cable after each use for any signs of fraying. Also, be sure to never attempt to crank on a cable when the spool is nearly empty. (Always have at least one and a half wraps on the spool, before you crank it under any load. (Otherwise, the cable’s terminating “button” might shear off, and send your load plummeting!) – JWR

Pat’s Product Review: T3 Rescue Tool

Many years ago I worked as an EMT – part of my training was to work on a Chicago Fire Department rescue ambulance. It was exciting  and demanding. Also, in the course of working as a police officer, I had many occasions where I had to cut someone out of a seat belt that had become stuck, or cut people out of their clothing so we could attend to their injuries. While I’ve always carried a pocket knife, it was not the perfect tool for the job.
 
There are several different types of cutting tools on the market today, that are geared toward EMS, rescue and police officers, that are designed for helping them cut injured people out of a stuck seat belt or their clothing. However, one rescue tool really caught my attention a couple months ago, and that is the T3 Tactical Triage and Auto Rescue Tool sold by StatGearTools.com. For the sake of brevity, we’ll just call it the T3.
 
The T3 is a folding knife, but it doesn’t end there. It also has a seat belt cutter, that can double as a cutter to remove clothing from an injured person – and this is important, as many times, I’ve had to cut away clothing on an injured person to properly treat them and dress their wounds. There is also a hardened glass breaker on the butt of the T3 – this is used for easily breaking out automobile windows, and you can do it safely and quickly, instead of pounding on a window with a night stick, rock or even your hands – I’ve done all three in the past – not fun! On top of that, there is also a flashlight built into the T3 – and it isn’t used for navigating at night, instead, if is used to check pupil dilation on an injured patient. That is a very important tool to have if you are working in EMS!
 
The 440C stainless steel blade is 3-1/4 inch long, but it looks longer for some reason – not a bad thing, just an observation. The overall length of the T3 is 5 inches in the close position and it weighs in at 6.4 ounces. It is a hefty beast, but needed in a rescue tool – you don’t want some lightweight tool, that might fail you at the worse time – you want heavy-duty, and the T3 is that! Half the 440C blade is serrated, another good idea, in case you have to cut through wet rope, clothing, etc., just makes it easier with those serrations, trust me – been there, done that – and serrations make the job easier when dealing with wet material. you also get a heavy-duty Nylon belt sheath, if you prefer to carry the T3 on your belt, and there is a stainless steel clothing/pocket clip, for carry inside a pocket, for faster deployment.
 
Over the  years, I’ve tested seat belt cutters and serrated knife blades on actual seat belt material, so I had some on-hand for testing. The seat belt cutter easily cut right through the seat belt material with ease! It really grabbed the material and fed it into the cutter, too. The serrated blade worked almost as well, but it tended to snag a bit – ever so slightly. For my money, the seat belt cutter is the tool for – well, cutting through seat belt material. But the serrated folding blade worked 98% as well as the seat belt cutter did – no surprise there. However, I had to apply more force with the serrated blade, than I did with the cutter. Again, no surprise there!
 
The flashlight – it worked as advertised…I checked the pupils on my wife and the light wasn’t blinding, like so many of today’s hi-tech super bright flashlights are, that can not only destroy one’s vision temporarily, but actually do serious harm, maybe permanent harm to a patient’s eyes. Additionally, the battery is easy to get to when time comes to replace it.
 
The spring loaded, steel-tipped window punch tool: I was interested in this one, for sure. However, I wasn’t about to break out my own car windows to test it. I had an old picture frame that was cracked, so I used that as a test media. I placed the tip of the window punch tool against the glass, and applied pressure and the glass shattered into hundreds of pieces. I know this will easily punch out the window of an auto or truck. I even tested the power of the window punch tool against a 2X4 and it made a nice little dent in it. No doubt this will easily break windows in vehicles!
 
The 440C stainless steel knife blade held a good edge, and to be sure, not all 440 stainless steel is the same. There is 440A, 440B and others, but 440C is the toughest in my humble opinion. Normally 440C is tough to re-sharpen, but the T3’s blade wasn’t that hard – maybe a lower Rockwell hardness? I don’t know…the blade held an edge for a long time – I did a lot of cutting with the T3 – and when time came to re-sharpen it, it didn’t take but a couple minutes on some crock sticks to get the blade hair-popping sharp again! The handle scales on the folder are G10 – or they at least appear to be…I didn’t see any information on the web site to tell me differently. There is also a thumb stud on the folding blade, and it easily snapped the blade in-place. Friction grooves are on the top back of the blade, for perfect thumb placement in the fencing grip!
 
If you are an EMS responder, police officer, or just about anyone – you can benefit from the T3. While not designed as a survival knife per se, it fills in that role – if a person is trapped in a burning vehicle, and you need to get them out ASAP, the T3 is a survival knife – trust me! If you have family or friends in the EMS or law enforcement fields, then buy a T3 for them as a gift, they’ll really appreciate it – and so will injured people. Best of all is, the T3 is only $39.99 right  now — discounted $20 — and orders over $100 are shipped free. I think anyone in the EMS or rescue line of work would benefit greatly by the T3. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Recipe of the Week:

Rich H.’s Peach Pie Jam

6 cups peaches, peeled and cut
2 cups brown sugar
3 T. bottled lemon juice
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
4 1/2 T. Ball Flex Batch no sugar/low sugar pectin ( or Sure-Jell one box of no sugar/low sugar pectin)

Cut and measure peaches and put into dutch oven, heating until the peaches begin to break down, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally so that you don’t burn the fruit. Add 2 cups of brown sugar, lemon juice, and spices. Once you get the right flavor bring to a boil and then add your pectin, return to a boil, meanwhile prepare you sterilize jars and lids.

Ladle recipe into jars leaving 1/4″ headspace, removing bubbles filling back to the headspace, clean rims, add hot lids and rings and process in water bath for 10 minutes at a full boil. Remove the jars after the 10 minutes and let cool on a dish towel over night not moving them.

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Reader J.H.B. mentioned that The Art of Manliness has made their book on sandwich making (with 500 recipes) available free of charge.

Jam and Jelly Recipes

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

Economics and Investing:

Hit in the Gut by the Internet Sales Tax. The advent of this tax is yet another reason to support small “mom and pop” businesses. (They will be exempt from collecting Internet sales taxes–at least for now.)

Reader James W. suggested: Cashless: The Coming War on Tax-Evasion and Decentralized Money

Italian factory owner moves company to Poland while staff are on holiday

Items from The Economatrix:

18 Signs That Global Financial Markets Are Entering A Horrifying Death Spiral

401(k)s: Delivery Problems of a Different Nature

Health Insurance Premiums Rise Faster Than Wages

Obamacare clock stops for your boss, not you

Odds ‘n Sods:

What if they had a protest, and nobody came? Richmond rally supports more checks for gun purchases. You’ll find buried in the third paragraph: “Speaking to a sparse crowd — perhaps 15 local supporters…” Fifteen? Gosh, even the gay boy-baiting NAMBLA group gathers more people than that. So my questions are: Who wrote that headline, and who was the editor that approved it? And since when does 15 souls constitute a “rally”? Their draw was closer to the scale of a Kaffeeklatsch. The turnout was pretty pathetic, when you consider the $12 million+ that Mayor Bloomberg has spent on just his group’s latest background check ad campaign (including $100,000 for one Superbowl ad) and the $200,000 per year he spends for his stable of public relations spinmeisters. Talk about a poor return on investment (ROI)… It is had to believe that Bloomberg is famous for brilliant financial analysis and reporting. His ROI stinks.

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Colorado secession drive mirrors national politics. And meanwhile: Colorado Citizens Seek to Nullify Unconstitutional Gun Control Laws

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I heard about the The Southern Preppers and Green Living Expo, September 7&8, in Oxford, Alabama. Admission is free.

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I noticed that Camping Survival has added a full line of very reasonably priced fish antibiotics to their online catalog. (They sell the whole works: Penicillin, Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Ciprofloxacin, and Cephalexin!) No prescription is required, so stock up.

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There are several simple and very inexpensive expedients for Faraday shielding your cellular phone (such as simply alternating wrappings of plastic bags and heavy duty aluminum foil. But these new purpose-built bags are more convenient: Signal Armor.

Notes from JWR:

Book Bomb Day! Today (Sunday, August 25, 2013) is the release date for The Prepared Family Cookbook. This great 372-page book was authored by our friend Enola Gay, of the Paratus Familia blog. It includes many great recipes that you won’t find anywhere else. Avalanche Lily has already read the book, and loved it. Most of the recipes are tailored for farm, ranch, and retreat living. In addition to hundreds of recipes, there are also special chapters on food storage, woodstove cookery, hospitality, homestead medicine, off-grid living, wildcrafting, home dairying, and homestead hygiene. Understandably, most of this came out of her great daily blog. But unlike her blog’s online archives, the book is EMP-proof. Avalanche Lily and I highly recommend that you get a copy.

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August 25th is a birthday shared by novelist Frederick Forsyth (born 1938) and American humorist Patrick F. McManus (born 1933–this is his 80th birthday.) Forsyth was the author of The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil’s Alternative, and many others.

Pat McManus was born and raised in Sandpoint, Idaho, so his books could be classified as American Redoubt humor. I met Pat a few years ago, and he very kindly autographed my battered collection of his books. Some of these books have been so well-loved that the pages are falling out of their bindings. I suppose that such a sight is the ultimate compliment for an author.

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Today we present another entry for Round 48 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The 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.) Two BirkSun.com photovoltaic backpacks (one Level, and one Atlas, both black), with a combined value of $275, H.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and I.) 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.

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 FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 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 22 of the books published by PrepperPress.com. This is more than a $200 value, and G.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

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.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security., E.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).