News From The American Redoubt:

The ultimate in politically incorrect ammo: Jihawg. (Made in Idaho, of course.)

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I recently watched a few episodes of the murder mystery television show Longmire, via Netflix. The show is supposedly set in Wyoming. But the timber just didn’t look right to me. So I did some checking and it turns out that they actually film the show in and around Las Vegas, New Mexico. (Coincidentally, the same town where the original Red Dawn movie was filmed.) And I learned that the leading man (Robert Taylor) is actually an Aussie! (His American accent is flawless.)

FWIW, I think that Wyoming was a very unrealistic choice for a murder mystery show locale. In just the first season of Longmire there were something like 14 murders in the fictional “Absaroka County.” Talk about a crime spike! If that happened in my county, then I’d be living in undiluted mortal fear. In reality, Wyoming’s murder rate bounces around 2 people per 100,000 per year. In 2011, for example, there were only 11 people murdered statewide–and that in a state with only 568,000 residents. (By the way, just a couple of double homicides thoroughly skews the statistics for some years.) Well, do the math! Absaroka County must a have a murder rate more like Chicago than Cheyenne. If they were making realistic television, then Wyoming would be much better suited to a “mailbox vandalism mystery show” or better yet, a “unsolicited zucchini delivery mystery show.”

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WSU starts sperm bank for honeybees. (Thanks to RBS for the link.)

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Saturday, June 22nd, the Sustainable Business Council is sponsoring their Garden City Localfest at Caras Park in Missoula, Montana from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.. 

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Idahoans file lawsuit against Oregon fruit company

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If you want to get some serious pepper spray, then consider Counter Assault, which is made in Kalispell, Montana.

Economics and Investing:

I noticed that spot price of silver has gone into its usual summer doldrums. Silver was under $22 per ounce, the last time I checked. Low points like this are an advantageous time to buy. It really doesn’t matter whether you buy pre-1965 junk silver, or one ounce American Redoubt silver coins, or some other sort of bullion silver, if you look at this on a macro scale. In the long run there will simply be a few prescient people with real money, and a much larger number of people who will be holding worthless paper. Yes, be a silver stacker but be wise and buy low. (Disclaimer: I don’t make my living selling silver. I’m a novelist. I touted silver long before I ever designed the American Redoubt coin. The commissions that I’ll earn on silver sales will represent perhaps 2% of my annual income.)

Failed Projections or Just Another Government Lie? You Judge

Tough New Gun Laws Drive Gun Makers To Move

Venezuela considers banning baby bottle feeding

Items from The Economatrix:

US Jobless Claims Fell by 12,000 Last Week to 334,000

Retail Sales Jump on Strong Car Sales

IRS Actually Fears Man Who Doesn’t File Taxes

Odds ‘n Sods:

I just learned that RepackBox.com has expanded their line to include pistol ammunition boxes. These are made with the same high quality as their rifle ammo boxes, and are ideal for both handloaders and for folks who buy their ammo in bulk, but who want to store it in standard cardboard boxes. (20 rounds for rifle cartridges, and 50 rounds for pistol cartridges.) And BTW, they will also soon be selling brand new, un-issued .50 caliber full mil-spec steel ammo cans. Be sure to check out their web site. As I’ve mentioned before, they sell more than boxes. Their other products include: muzzle and suppressor caps, 25 rd. SCAR -17 magazines, waterproof storage boxes for #10 cans (with waterproof bags, to match), and “sure feed” Remington 700 Short Action magazine springs.

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Law enforcement demands smartphone ‘kill switch’. Did anyone stop to think how powerful a weapon that this would be if Stasi-Lite ever wanted to quickly stifle dissent? The next best thing to “rounding up the usual suspects” is the ability to immediately deactivate the cell phones of anyone on “the list”, during a crisis. Next thing, is they’ll want to have the power to selectively disable car ignition systems, at will. Oh wait, that’s already been invented. Oh, and speaking of cell phones: AT&T to Load iPhones With Emergency Alerts From Obama – That You Can’t Switch Off

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The Real Reason the Illinois Attorney General Asked for 30 More Days on Gun Laws

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Spotted on Craigslist in Tucson, Arizona: An Affordable Diesel CUCV.

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Commentary from Claire Wolfe: The worst thing about the NSA revelations… And on a similar note, this surprisingly comes from a New York Times forum: The Real War on Reality. (Thanks to D.W. for the latter link.) And for the official word: Janet Napolitano Denies Existence of ‘Orwellian State’. JWR’s Comment: Thanks, Big Sis, we’ll take that under advisement. So I must ask: “Quis custodiet ebrius custodes?” (“Who watches the watchers?”)

Notes from JWR:

June 17th is the 84th birthday of physicist Dr. Hans Mark (born June 17, 1929.) He and my father became friends at LLNL, back when the facility was known as Lawrence Radiation Laboratory (LRL.) Conversationally, it was often known locally as just “The Rad Lab.”

This also the birthday of musician Red Foley. (Born, 1910, died September 19, 1968.) His patriotic song Smoke on the Water topped the music charts for 13 weeks in late 1944 and early 1945, and was on the charts for 24 weeks. That song–which describes the doom of fascist tyrants–would be considered quite politically incorrect, these days.

And this is also the birthday of novelist John Ross (born, 1957.) After many years of scarcity, his novel Unintended Consequences just went back into print in soft cover. Note that his otherwise excellent libertarian novel was marred by some vulgarity and gratuitous sex scenes. Beware!)

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I just heard that Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy (of Doom & Bloom fame) have released their much-anticipated book, The Survival Medicine Handbook: A guide for when help is NOT on the way. Given their tremendous expertise, I’m sure that this will become a standard reference for preppers. I didn’t see a page count mentioned, but it is notable that the now obsolete First Edition weighed 1.3 pounds, but this new Second Edition weighs 2.1 pounds!

Betsy’s Book Review: The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

Publisher: Vintage Books, New York. Copyright 2012
ISBN: 978-0-307-95047-5
A National Best Seller

Spoilers ahead. If you don’t like to know details about a novel before you read, you might want to skip this review.

I picked up The Dog Stars by Peter Heller while waiting in an airport, and frankly I enjoy fiction, but only if its intelligent and well-written, which this one is.

The world has been decimated by a flu pandemic, and it’s a few years post-apocalypse. The survivors have arranged themselves into small enclaves of existence. Told in the first person by Hig, two men with little in common coexist around an airport, its hanger, and a former high-end neighborhood full of decaying McMansions. Hig intrigues because we finally have an intelligent main character. He shoots a gun, gardens, flies an airplane, loves his dog, reads and writes poetry, and thinks. He thinks, he reasons, and he’s introspective.

Strangers are shot on sight. The flu disease has vicious lingering side effects for some. It’s a brutal world. But eventually, all survivors, in all novels, must ask themselves the burning question, “What’s the point?” What’s the point of trying so hard everyday? What now? Is this all there is? Should I keep on trying? I grind away, but does the future hold any hope?

So, when Hig finally approaches the question, he decides to strike out on his own, with the dog, to figure out the answer to his question. What ensues is the story of Hig.

The author writes in that stream of consciousness style with incomplete sentences, but it’s not particularly distracting. There is a love interest and plot twists. I read this book quickly as I wanted to see how it ended. Satisfying is how it ended. Satisfying for me. And Hig finds the answer to his burning question.

Pat’s Product Review: The Echo Sling

When I was younger I didn’t give much thought to a sling on a rifle or shotgun. When hunting afield, I simply carried my rifle or shotgun at the “ready” position – ready to shoulder it and fire on game. When I went into the military in 1969, I sure appreciated a sling on my M14 in Basic Training. In Infantry School, we were issued M16s, and while quite a bit lighter than the M14, I still appreciated a sling on the gun for long road marches. Over the years, I’ve tried all manner of sling on long guns, and to this day, I still can’t say there is one particular brand or style of sling I prefer over another. I’ve tried single-point, two-point and three-point slings and they all have the good and bad points.
 
To be sure, not all slings are made the same – some are made out of leather, some canvas and some Nylon – again, I’m not sure which I prefer. I know for long-distance high-powered rifle competition, I preferred the leather competition sling, it really locked the rifle into my shoulder and with the arm loop, made it all that much more secure.
 
I recently received the Echo Sling for testing for SurvivalBlog readers. My first impression, upon opening the package was “gee, nothing special here…” What we have with the Echo Sling is a heavy-duty, 1-inch wide Nylon sling – made in the USA – and that always tends to swing my opinion on many things. I still think we can manufacture better products in this country than most other countries can produce. Sure, we pay a bit more, but we get better products. I don’t mind paying more for something better made.
 
The Echo Sling has durable stitching, and an easy to adjust polymer buckles – no worries about them rusting. The sample I received is the Dark Earth color, but they also have Safety Orange, Neon Pink, Hazmat Green, Autumn Orange, Salmon/Princess Pink and Desert Tan. They also claim that the Echo Sling will fit any rifle – guaranteed. I tried it on a variety of different sling swivels and attachments, and it fit them all. I would like to see Echo Sling offer their products in a 1.25-inch width too, in the future – for slinging heavier rifles – that little bit of extra width really helps out if you’re carrying a rifle or shotgun at sling arms for any distance.
 
Okay, I have a box full of slings, some are leather, some Nylon some canvas, and a few made of other synthetics. I did note that the Echo Sling is much better made than many of the nylon slings in my collection – it is heavier stitched and the Nylon is a bit thicker in my humble opinion – hard to measure, I tried. I do like the simply two-point attachment system – some slings take a PhD in engineering to figure out how to attach them to a rifle or shotgun – you all know what I’m talking about, too. And, to make things easier, the Echo Sling comes with printed instructions and photos to show you the proper way to attach it. And, on the reverse side of the instructions, are photos and an explanation, as to how to use the Echo Sling as a belt – don’t laugh, a belt can and does break, when you least expect it – this is an outstanding idea and secondary use for the Echo Sling.
 
One thing I don’t much care for with most Nylon slings is that, they tend to slip and slid on the shoulder. The Echo Sling stayed in place, and I believe this is because if is a heavier grade of Nylon, and the tighter stitching that the material has. Okay, so how does one go about testing a sling, other than to put it on a rifle or shotgun and carry the gun at sling arms? Well, I knew there had to be a better method for testing this sling – other than to just carry a long gun around the house – we’re in the rainy season in this part of Oregon – and I didn’t feel much like hiking the logging roads in the monsoon rains to test the sling – I know it works, but there had to be a better way to test this sling’s durability.
 
It hit me! Or should I say, one of my German Shepherds, “Sarge” showed me a method for testing the sling. Sarge isn’t quite a year and a half old, and he loves to chew-up cardboard boxes that FedEx and UPS bring me almost daily – he honestly believes UPS and FedEx come to bring him new toys to destroy – and destroy them he does. While examining the sling, Sarge decided it looked like a new chew toy and grabbed an end, and the tug-o-war was on – he loves playing this game with “Arro” one of my other German Shepherds. (We have four in our house right now, but we’ve had more than that in the past.)
 
Sarge and Arro – and even Fanja, our little female, got into a three-way tug-o-war with the Echo Sling – my older main male doesn’t much get into this game – he’s Schutzhund 1 trained and certified, and he likes to bite – not play tug-o-war. So, over the course of a month, I let Sarge and Arro play with the Echo Sling – and these boys can really pull – they’ve destroyed a number of pull tug ropes in the past year. Over the course of this “test” the polymer buckles were chewed on pretty well – but still functioned, though they had teeth marks on them. The Echo Sling was looking worse for wear, but the dogs never did break it – and these boys can really pull and pull hard against each other. There was some fraying, on the ends of the sling, where the boys usually grabbed it in their mouths, but the sling didn’t fail. Now, if a high-quality Nylon sling can take this kind of abuse, over a month, and still function – I’m impressed. I never let the boys chew on the sling – I know it wouldn’t last but a day if they did – but I let them play tug-o-war several times a day with the Echo Sling.
 
I have lesser-quality Nylon slings and I know, if I had given them to my German Shepherds, they would have made quick work of them – they’d be destroyed inside of a day or two. So, all Nylon slings aren’t the same quality, or made out of the same high-quality and thicker material. What started out as a “ho-hum” product to test for SurvivalBlog readers, turned into a lot of fun testing – and I didn’t have to do much of the testing – my dogs helped me out quite a bit. A slightly different way of doing an endurance test, but it was a lot of fun – for the dogs – and for me – watching them. The sling held-up to the testing and a close examination of it, shows it is better made than most other nylon slings. A simple product, that works and stands-up to abuse! I like that! The Echo Sling retails for $18.99 each and as mentioned at the beginning of this article, it comes in a variety of colors, too. I’ve paid this much for lesser quality Nylon slings, so I think the Echo Sling is a good investment, if you are looking for something simple and durable – something that will stand-up a lot of abuse, and still safely carry your rifle or shotgun. Check it out. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: Wearing and Carrying Safety Gear, At All Times

Dear JWR,
I am an avid motorcyclist. (I’ve logged more than 300,000 miles, and I’m 40 years old.) I recently noticed a trend on bike blogs regarding ATGATT, spoken as”At-Gat.” This acronym stands for All The Gear, All The Time. In other words, if you believe a helmet (or leather jacket or good sturdy boots) to be a good idea at any time, you should wear them all the time.

Personally, I wear a helmet, leather jacket, good boots, gloves, etc. whenever I’m on the bike. I usually wear them when I’m not on the bike as well, out of habit. But I also carry a decent medical kit on the bike or in the truck, whichever I’m using at the time. I’m an EMT and like to be prepared for incidents that occur when I’m not on the clock. Add a bullet/stab-proof vest whenever feasible, a sidearm (when allowed, which in my case means not at work), materials for making fire, a knife and some other goodies, and I think I have ATGATT.

This term has replaced EDC in my vocabulary: Your “every-day carry” should be “all the gear, all the time.” It doesn’t take much space or weigh much if you go minimalist, and it really could save your life, or someone else’s. I also have a G.O.O.D. bag, and one for my wife and daughter, but if necessary I’d be fine with the things I carry/wear every day. I’m not saying I carry an axe, adze and flock of chickens with me. Difficult, that would be. But I could go into the boonies now and stay there for a week or perhaps a month without suffering much, partially due to experience and partially due to equipment.

Thanks again, JWR, for providing SurvivalBlog. I learn something new every time I visit, which means frequently. – J.D.C. in Mississippi

JWR Replies: Your point is well taken. It reminds me of a conversation that I had with my late wife, The Memsahib back around 2006. We had just seen some news footage of a street riot in the Middle East, and I asked rhetorically: “What is the best way to survive that, aside from conveniently not being there? Her response: “Well, I suppose a full set of off-road motorcycling gear would be a good start.”

And it bears mentioning that a large portion of life-threatening trauma (both combat and accidents) is head trauma. Kevlar helmets (including the later-generation ACH and MICH) are sold by several mail-order firms like BulletProofME.com. Proper sizing is important for helmets, so don’t just buy any Kevlar helmet on eBay. Many of these same companies also sell kevlar body armor vests. There again, sizing is crucial.

Following the theme of your letter, it is important to wear a full set of safety gear whenever you fire up a chainsaw, even if it just to “make a couple of quick cuts.” (Kelvlar safety chap, boots, combination helmet with face screen, etc.) Murphy’s Law dictates that the one time that you omit the safety gear will be the time that your foot slips.

Letter Re: Rapid Progression of the Geomagnetic North Pole?

Jim:
Is it true, what the rumors have been saying about the [magnetic] north pole shifting 161 miles in just the past six months? can that be true? Is it possible that there will be a pole reversal in the next few years? Should I be worried? – Elaine T.

JWR Replies: This topic has been discussed before in SurvivalBlog, but mostly vis-a-vis the need to keep maps updated with current magnetic declination data. (The difference between magnetic north and true north.)

The geomagnetic north pole moves laterally because of shifts deep in the Earth’s core. It is presently in far northern Canada, but it is gradually shifting to the northwest and it is presumed that it will probably be in Siberia in a decade or two. (Although it is notable that the auroral toroid is pushing more toward the southeast.) Many credible sources, like Polar Endeavour, show the “walking” or “wandering” (or more properly “progressing”) of the pole position at about 35 miles per year. Wikipedia states: “Over the past 150 years the poles have moved westward at a rate of 0.05° to 0.1° per year, with little net north or south motion.” National Geographic confirms that the movement of the pole has accelerated since 1989 to as much as 37 miles per year. (Ditto for progression of the antipodal geomagnetic south pole, though it is not tracked as consistently.) This is confirmed by NOAA’s National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC.) But I can’t find any credible source that mentions a figure anywhere near “161 miles in six months”! And the web site you mentioned shows an inverted map of pole progression that might lead a casual observer to believe that the geomagnetic north pole is shifting to the south.

Based on an iterative method that relies on historical ship’s logs, it has been determined that the geomagnetic north pole actually shifted southeastward from around 1600 to the 1830s. But since then it has been progressing in a more northwesterly direction. The chances that the geomagnetic pole will shift below 68 degrees of latitude or above 88 degrees of latitude in this millennium are miniscule. Granted, the longitudinal shifts could be quite large (because of Great Circle geometry, the closer that the geomagnetic pole progresses toward 90 degrees), but the substantive issue is the measure of latitude shifts. We need to be content to sticking to observable science. Let’s leave emotion and hyperbole out of the conversation.

Full geomagnetic reversal has not occurred in recorded history. But geologists who are believers in Ancient Earth theories assert that several polarity reversals have been recorded geologically in rock formations at the mid-ocean tectonic ridges, and that these reversals happen roughly once every 450,000 years. Citing some geologists who have studied the geologic record, Wikipedia states: “The Earth’s field has alternated between periods of normal polarity, in which the direction of the field was the same as the present direction, and reverse polarity, in which the field was the opposite. These periods are called chrons.” It has also recently been asserted by some German scientists that a brief reversal–called a “geomagnetic excursion“–lasting only a few hundred years may have taken place 41,000 years ago.

Could there be a magnetic pole reversal in our lifetime? Not likely. Should we be worried? I don’t think so. I’m much, much more worried about the statist Democrats shifting out of the White House. (Or worse yet, failing to shift.) I’m also concerned about incipient cataclysmic shifts in the value of paper currencies. Not magnetic pole shifts!

My advice: be very leery about what you hear on late night radio shows or what you see on web pages that don’t cite any reliable references. (There are even some idiotic cranks out there who claim that the physical tilt of the Earth has shifted! My GPS receiver tells me otherwise.)

Secure Storage Facilities Planned in The American Redoubt

Todd Savage of Survival Retreat Consulting is developing two secure storage projects in the American Redoubt–one in north Idaho and one in Northwestern Montana. The facilities will give private members access to several storage options to store their preparedness gear until they can relocate. The undisclosed locations will feature various sizes of climate controlled vaults and safe rooms, featuring underground bunker construction and redundant security features. These facility can eliminate a prepper’s quandary: having all their crucial preps stored in one location with no ability to move it to their safe haven quickly.

A retrofitted facility should be available for occupancy in September of 2013 and a larger newly-constructed facility should be available for storage in August of 2014. These facilities will be bonded. For security reasons, the exact locations of the facilities will only be revealed to clients once they have signed a contract. These high end security and climate-controlled units will cost more monthly than typical commercial storage spaces. (Which are typically not climate controlled and offer only marginal security in locations that are widely known to the public.)

If you have interest in short or long term secure storage options for some of your gear, then please contact Todd Savage through his web site. 

Recipe of the Week:

C. in Florence’s Hippo Valley Moon-Dae

Here is an old Rhodesian home cooking recipe that some might find enjoyable. I have changed it by removing brand names from Rhodesia. i.e. Daribord Royal and also (other than in the title,) Hippo Valley Citrus. Sadly those companies no longer have meaning that they once did in my life.)
 
Hippo Valley Moon-Dae

3 large eggs (Separate)
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon gelatine
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup cream
1 tin of grapefruit segments (or 1 cup grapefruit juice  and one peeled segmented grapefruit chopped up)
 
Beat together egg yolks and honey until thick and lemon colored. Dissolve gelatine in water. Put 1 cup of grapefruit juice into a double boiler with dissolved gelatine. Add the egg mixture slowly and stir until mixture thickens. Turn off heat. Leave to cool then fold in stiffly beaten egg whites and the cream. Pour Mixture into a white mould and set in the refrigerator. Turn onto a serving platter and surround with the drained grapefruit segments.

Chef’s Notes:

For me this serves just one, but you can share to with 4 or 5 people.

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Rhodesian Recipes

Canned Fruit Recipes

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

Odds ‘n Sods:

Recently posted by the great video blogger Wranglerstar: Home-made Hydraulic Ram Pump

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There are just two days left in Camping Survival’s sale on Wise brand storage foods, with deep discounts. The sale ends on June 18, 2013.

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Census: Rural US loses population for first time

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The folks at Directive 21 mentioned that they have received more than 1,000 copies of the book Making the Best of Basics, and they have them sale priced at just $24.95 with free shipping. That is about half of what they cost at Amazon.

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Yet another ill-advised foreign intervention: US To Arm Syrian Rebels. Has anyone noticed how many radical Muslim groups our government has backed, ever since the Clinton Administration? These forays rarely end well. Just look at the newly-installed governments and their policies, post facto. OBTW, fellow blogger Tamara of the witty View From The Porch had some pointed observations about the United States arming the Al Qaeda proxy jihadists in Syria. My own observations: Here in Oceania it is easy to get confused about who the enemy du jour is. Are we fighting Eastasia or Eurasia this year? Let me try to get this straight: Is Al Qaeda our ally enemy ally? In the 1980s, while Russia was busily carpet bombing Afghanistan, our CIA cowboys were copiously funding and arming Al Qaeda. But then, after 9/11/2001 Bin Laden’s buckaroos were declared the absolute persona non grata bad boys of the planet and thence became multiple JDAM award winners. But, wait! Fast forward 12 years… and now we are about to arm Al Qaeda in Syria. (But not invade Syria, because that might be considered undiplomatically rude and might enrage the Muslims.) Pardon me for being confused. I suppose that I need to re-read Eric Blair’s textbook again, catch up on the updates to Newspeak and get back in the BHO-approved Ministry of Peace Groupthink. (I’d hate to unwittingly commit a thoughtcrime.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power." – George Orwell, 1984

Notes from JWR:

Today is the birthday of John Enoch Powell (born 1912, died 8 February 1998.) He was one of the very few military men to rise from enlisted Private to Brigadier General. Similarly, in the US military, Nathan Bedford Forrest enlisted as a Private and advanced to the rank of Lieutenant General of the Confederate Army during the U.S. Civil War. (His postwar career was, ahem, less distinguished.) Chesty Puller did the same in the U.S. Marine Corps. Likewise, U.S. Army General Tommy Franks began his Army career as a Private in 1965 and went on to eventually wear four stars, as did Admiral Jeremy Michael Borda, advancing from USN E-1 to USN O-10. (From Seaman to Admiral and Chief of Naval Operations.) There have been a few such examples, but not very many. (Special thanks to SurvivalBlog reader George S. for mentioning this birth date and the similarity in the service of Forrest, Franks and Borda.)

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Today we present another entry for Round 47 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.) Two BirkSun.com photovoltaic backpacks (one Level, and one Atlas, both black), with a combined value of $275, G.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and 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.

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 and F.) 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.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value), and F.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 47 ends on July 31st so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.