Low-Cost Knives for Long-Term Survival, by M.B.

The purchase of good-quality knives for long-term use can be a huge challenge for preppers. Buying a knife is a lot like hiring a lawyer: when you ask how much a good one will cost, the answer you get is often, “How much would you like to spend?”

A good knife for general usage often starts at $80 to $100, and prices can quickly escalate into the hundreds of dollars. Knife aficionados on the online forums often speak of spending several hundred dollars for the “perfect” survival/tactical/combat knife from a famous custom maker. To collectors and to some users, this is a reasonable price, but many of us on a tight budget can see better uses for such a sum of money. For one thing, we want every adult in our family or survival group to have one or more good, dependable knives. Additionally, anyone who has used knives in the outdoors knows that no single knife can do everything — we often need a few knives to properly address the large and small jobs that require a knife or other cutting tool. Most of the knives discussed in this article have a maximum price of $25. Many knives in this price range are simply junk, but there are exceptions, some of which are described here. I have personal experience with all of these knives, unless otherwise stated. I’ve owned them, used them and learned some of their strengths and weaknesses. They come from a variety of places, but none are made in China.

Let’s start by looking at what many of us consider to be the essentials, in terms of knives. Rather than looking for a single, “perfect” knife, some of us try to select a knife “kit” for each adult, to better handle a variety of tasks.

THE KNIFE “KIT”

My approach to the knife kit is to obtain one large, fixed blade knife for general use and big tasks, one medium-sized fixed blade or strong folder for general utility, and a multitool or multiple blade pocket knife for small jobs and for tasks requiring special tools, such as scissors, a screwdriver, a can opener, etc. My personal kit consists of three tools: (1) a 12-inch Tramontina machete, (2) either a custom knife I made from a Frosts of Sweden “Mora” knife or a Svord Peasant folder, and (3) either a Leatherman Tool or a Swiss Army “Recruit” pocket knife. I find that these knives allow me to tackle any of the tasks that are appropriate for a knife. My entire kit (with the Swiss Army knife and the Svord Peasant Knife) can be purchased for well under $75.

COMPROMISES IN LOW-COST KNIVES

There is some truth in the old adage: “You get what you pay for.” The companies selling high-quality knives for low prices have to make compromises to do so. Generally, this means that most of the money and effort goes into the blade. That’s good, because the blade governs much of the knife’s capabilities. It is possible for a budget-minded user to address shortcomings in handles and/or sheaths with a few basic tools and a little bit of time. Don’t expect Kydex sheaths or exotic handle materials in the low price range. In some cases (most machetes), no sheath will be included, and you may need to make your own or to have one made. Other sheaths may be suitable for carry in a pack, but not on a belt, again requiring the user to make or buy their own sheath if that is not acceptable. Handles may require some sanding or other finish work for best comfort and performance.

Most knives in this price range have thin blades. This is not necessarily a huge disadvantage. Many of the knives carried by mountain men and those who followed to settle the western United States had thin blades. In general, thin blades take a fierce edge with less effort than a thicker blade, and they slice well. A thin-bladed knife is often a good choice for dressing wild game or for preparing food.

Thin does not always mean weak. Machetes are usually thin, yet they are tough and springy. Some small, thin knives can be tougher than you may expect. Some thin-bladed sheath knives can be “batonned” — pounded on the spine with a heavy stick — to cut down small trees or to cut larger pieces of wood in a pinch. This is abuse, but some knives — especially many of the Mora fixed blade knives — seem to tolerate it without damage. Thin-bladed knives are usually lighter and easier to carry than thicker knives. This is a big factor in a knife chosen to go in a G.O.O.D. bag. Conversely, some thick knives are poor slicers and are heavy enough to feel clumsy for almost any task other than chopping.

Sheaths for smaller knives can be made by the prepper, with either leather or Kydex plastic. Kydex has the advantage of being weatherproof. It is also possible to heat it and form it to make a sheath that holds the knife in place without any straps or keepers. For a very inexpensive sheath — especially for larger blades, such as machetes — the plastic in trash cans for home use is very good. It can be cut, drilled and riveted, much like leather, but it’s very weather resistant and long-lasting. Trash can plastic is less expensive than either leather or Kydex, yet it can be made into an excellent sheath.

SCANDINAVIAN KNIVES

Low-cost “Mora” knives from Sweden are very popular with outdoor people, especially in recent years. These fixed blade knives come in a wide variety of styles, in both stainless and carbon steel. Handles can be wood or plastic, and sheaths are almost always made of plastic. The blades tend to be somewhat thin, and the blade grinds are different from what most knife users are accustomed to. Most knives have a primary bevel and a small secondary bevel that forms the sharpened edge. With Scandinavian knives, there is no secondary bevel. The primary bevel — which may be about 1/4-inch (about 11mm) wide — is laid directly on the sharpening stone. The resulting edge can be surprising sharp. Many people who are not fans of knives have trouble correctly sharpening a knife with a traditional secondary bevel. When they buy a Mora and learn the simple sharpening method, it may be the first time that they’ve owned a really sharp knife.

Mora knives are very low in price: often in the $10-20 range. The traditional Moras, with a simple hardwood handle and carbon steel blade, are among my favorites. Others may prefer a stainless blade and plastic handle for a low-maintenance knife. In any case, the area at the base of the blade should be looked at carefully. Some Moras have a small gap here, where bacteria and/or moisture can get in, under the handle. In these cases, I simply clean the area with alcohol and apply a small amount of a good grade of epoxy, such as JB Weld, to seal off the opening. If the opening extends down into the handle, I use enough epoxy to completely fill it, with the intention of strengthening the knife as well as sealing the handle/blade junction.

Some Moras come with simple but functional sheaths, while others may not be suitable for daily carry. I generally make a simple leather or Kydex sheath (usually Kydex) as a replacement. By the way, Kydex does not require a suite of expensive tools. My “presses” are made from scrap wood and mouse pads, and I assemble the sheaths with regular rivets made for leather, or with pieces of narrow-diameter, soft copper tubing (from the plumbing section of big hardware stores) flared to make eyelets. I’ve even used pliers to turn large paper clips into heavy-duty “staples” for sheaths.

A good source for Swedish Mora knives is Ragweed Forge. “Ragnar,” the owner, offers the best selection of Mora knives I’ve seen so far, along with information about sharpening. His customer service is very good, and the prices are fair.

The Ahti “Finman” is a Finnish fixed blade knife, It is very similar in design, and in price, to the Mora knives. Ragweed Forge offers one version, with a stainless blade and a green handle and sheath. It needs to have a handle gap — at the base of the blade — filled with epoxy, but it is a very practical and useful medium-sized fixed blade knife. The stainless blade and rubberized handle make it a good all-weather tool. I frequently carry mine as a pocket knife — in casual pants with generous front pockets.

Another Scandinavian brand to consider seriously is Marttiini, from Finland. Many of us are familiar with their “Rapala” line of fillet knives for fishing. My Rapala is very light in weight and the long, narrow, flexible stainless blade takes and holds a very good edge. It came with a traditional wood handle and a superbly practical plastic-lined “dangle” sheath of good leather. A sharp, thin blade is extremely useful for more than fish, and mine has been our only kitchen knife on some of our trips. It served very well in that role. All it needed to make it ready for use was a tiny amount of JB Weld epoxy around the base of the blade, to seal the handle. It cost me under $15: a bargain. I found it in a large sporting goods store.

OPINEL AND COLD STEEL KNIVES

Opinel folding knives are wonderfully useful. Consisting of little more than a hardwood handle, a blade, a pivot pin, and a rotating collar that locks the blade open, they lock open with authority and are one of the simplest, strongest designs available. The Opinel’s blade has a nail nick and the knife requires two hands to open it, like a traditional pocket knife. Because the lock does not engage when the blade opens — but must be engaged manually — Opinels may be legal for carry in jurisdictions that ban some “tactical” folders. The blades are flat-ground and are very thin at the edge. As a result, Opinels can be made scary sharp in very little time and are wonderful slicers that hold their edges well. They can be found in a variety of sizes, with either carbon steel or with stainless blades. Although the blades are thin, they are stronger than you might expect and made an excellent choice for a daily-carry pocket knife. Opinels are very inexpensive, as well. Smoky Mountain Knife Works carries several Opinel folders, most of which are in our price range.

Cold Steel used to make their own version of the Opinel: the Twistmaster. With a Zytel handle and a “Carbon V” blade, the Cold Steel version was stronger than the French original, although it tended to be a bit thick at the edge and didn’t slice quite as well as the Opinel. The Twistmaster corrected the one shortcoming of the Opinel: in wet conditions, the hardwood handle could swell, making the knife very difficult to open. The Zytel handle of the Cold Steel was unaffected by moisture. Both the Opinels and the Twistmasters (if you can find a used one) are recommended as pocket-sized cutting tools, just as long as you don’t try to use them as a chopping tool or a pry bar.

SVORD PEASANT KNIFE

Svord Knives in New Zealand makes the Peasant Knife: a folder that has become one of my all-time favorite knives. It’s one of the simplest folders available. The knife consists of two post screws, a blade, two handle scales, and one pin. It can be completely dismantled in a few moments for a complete cleaning. The carbon steel blade has a flat grind, similar to that of the Opinel, and its cutting abilities are similar.

There are no springs in a Peasant Knife. It uses a long tang that sticks out of the closed knife and lays along the back of the handle when the knife is open. The user’s hand holds the tang in place and keeps the knife from closing. The tang makes the closed knife somewhat longer than most knives in its size class, but I use it to draw the knife out of my pocket. The Svord Peasant Knife is available with wood, plastic or aluminum handle scales. I purchased mine with the plastic handles, and I believe that the plastic handles are the best choice for preppers. They are strong and light and are textured for a good grip. A wide variety of Svord Peasant Knives can be found at Knife Center. All are in our price range.

TRAMONTINA AND ONTARIO MACHETES

For a large knife, I chose a Tramontina machete with a hardwood handle and a 12-inch, carbon steel blade. The hardwood handle allowed me to customize the machete to fit my hand better, using a pocket knife and some sandpaper. I use the Tramontina machete more as a large knife than as a small machete. Although the blade is long, it is light and thin enough for the Tramontina to be used in the camp kitchen, and it will slice tomatoes or onions with ease. I sharpen machetes with a small file, and the slightly rough edge from the file seems to stay sharp longer than one would expect from a machete blade with a “spring” temper. Machete Specialists offers the 12-inch Tramontina, with the item number TR26620012.

The Tramontina is too light for a dedicated chopping tool. It could be used to cut poles for a shelter or for a stretcher, but if I expected to use it for chopping, I would choose a 12-inch Ontario machete. Avoid the “economy” version of the Ontario that is sold in some places. The original has a 1/8-inch thick blade and is a much better chopping tool. I was also unhappy with the “D” handle models and strongly prefer the original handle type. The exact Ontario machete that I recommend is sold under item number ONCT1 at Knife Center.

I prefer to use machetes as large knives that can be used to chop, rather than as dedicated choppers. Chopping makes noise that can disturb other campers today; after a crunch, it could attract two-legged predators. A small folding saw is my wood cutter of choice, although a sharp machete can be used to split damp kindling in wet conditions, or to make fuzz sticks. I tend to keep my fires small, and I generally do not need an axe or large chopping tool to prepare and maintain a fire.

A short machete is a fearsome weapon, if needed. The 12-inch Tramontina machete is not a heavy chopper, but it’s very quick in the hands and could deliver a much more serious slash than most folding knives or small fixed blades. The edge bevel at the point of the blade needs some work with a file to sharpen it properly. Someone seeking an edged weapon should probably look at the 12-inch Ontario machete. It also needs some attention to the bevel at the point. The Ontario’s blade is stiffer and heavier than the Tramontina’s blade, and it could be a very effective self-defense weapon at close quarters. Longer machetes, on the other hand, handle more like a sword than a big knife and require more skill and hand/wrist strength to be efficient defensive weapons.

SWISS ARMY KNIVES

No discussion of bargain knives would be complete without mentioning Swiss Army Knives. Both Victorinox and Wenger offer some basic knives in our price range. One of my favorites is the Victorinox Recruit. It is a Swiss version of the classic Boy Scout pocket knife. It is inexpensive and tremendously useful as a light-duty, multipurpose tool. Another Victorinox knife has a big following: the Farmer. Although it’s a little above our price range, it has metal scales instead of red plastic, and it features the wood saw: one of the most useful of Swiss Army tools. Victorinox and Wenger Swiss Army Knives are available from a wide variety of sources.

A SHOVEL?

I find myself keeping one large “chopper” around and using it frequently: the Cold Steel Special Forces Shovel. Many who have served in the military know the value of a small shovel as a general-purpose digging/cutting/hacking tool. I sharpen the edges with a file to make it a more efficient digging tool, capable of chopping through roots or breaking up hard soil. It could also be used to cut wood, in a pinch. The blade would need regular attention to keep it sharp, however. Heavy chopping can also put terrific stress on a shovel handle. If I planned to do a lot of chopping, I would wrap the area where the blade attaches to the handle with some wire, or with epoxy-saturated cord or twine, to reinforce it. This is the weakest part of any shovel. The Special Forces Shovel can be purchased direct from Cold Steel.

My Special Forces Shovel is kept sharp and has a blade cover made from trash can plastic, with two pieces of nylon webbing and snaps to hold the shovel in place. A few holes drilled near the edges of the blade cover allow my Cold Steel shovel to be lashed to the side of my pack for carry.

The Cold Steel SF Shovel can also be a low-profile weapon. A sharpened shovel, spade, or entrenching tool has been used countless times in infantry close-quarters combat. It can slice like a knife or chop like an axe. If used for a while as a shovel, it will show the marks of a tool and will be less suspicious than a brand-new, razor sharp shovel. Mine travels under the radar and has never been questioned. Its scarred handle and well-used blade make it look like what it is: a small, useful shovel.

CONCLUSION

Choose your tools carefully, and they should serve you well. Don’t forget to invest in files, ceramic sticks, sharpening stones, oil, and other accessories needed to keep your cutting tools sharp and in good condition. Carbon steel knives that are used frequently with food can be kept rust-free by drying after use and wiping with any type of cooking oil. Take care of them, and buy a few extras as spares, or as trade goods. Good knives may be hard to come by after a Crunch.

Letter Re: A New Malware Threat

SurvivalBlog readers:
If you have a fairly recently manufactured computer, there is no reason to expose your computer to malware at all. Most computers are powerful enough to host a “virtual machine” (MM) – that is, a session that is completely isolated from the hosting computer and that does not make any permanent changes to your system without your express command. VMs can be modified, saved and discarded as you wish. If you are browsing the web using a VM and suspect that you have encountered a virus or malware, simply discard that session and start a new one. There are many tutorials on the ‘net that give step-by-step instructions on how to set up and maintain VMs on your home computer. I use VMs on a decade-old hand-me-down office PC running Windows X. If that old clunker can handle it, yours probably can as well.

Respectfully, – Dr. John G.

Economics and Investing:

Jim Sinclair: The Implications of China Paying in Gold. (Thanks to K.T. for the link.)

G.G. flagged this one: In apparent first, a public pension plan files for bankruptcy.

Bram S. spotted this: Doug Casey on Taxes and Freedom

Over at Dr. Housing Bubble: The crashing US housing metro areas – Atlanta home values crash by 17 percent in last year and Las Vegas continues to move lower. Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco continue to make post-bubble lows.

Items from The Economatrix:

Social Security Fund to Run Out in 2035, Trustees Say

In an Apparent First, a Public Pension Plan Files for Bankruptcy

Sales of U.S. Homes Exceeded Estimates in March

Consumer Confidence in U.S. Little Changed as Outlook Cools

Home Prices in US Cities Fell at Slower Pace in February

Odds ‘n Sods:

Lee M. sent an interesting article and video: Time Lapse Views of Earth from Space. Lee suggests: “Take a look at the night scenes of Earth. it will give you an idea of where the major population centers are located.”

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One final reminder that this weekend I will be a guest speaker (via teleconference) at the Get Prepared Expo, that is being held in Springfield, Missouri on April 28 & 29, 2012. The expo is being organized by USAPrepares.com, at the Ozarks Empire Fairgrounds. My teleseminar will begin at noon, Central time.

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Tam, over at the always entertaining and provocative View From The Porch blog suggested this: How to weaponize office supplies. (I’ve mentioned his videos before.)

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G.G. sent this bit of good news: Labor Dept. withdraws farm child labor rule after Daily Caller report goes viral

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Ted S. suggested a web site with a lot of information about the Raven Rock underground continuity of government complex.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"You have to choose between trusting to the natural stability of gold and the natural stability of the honesty and intelligence of the members of the government. And, with due respect to these gentlemen, I advise you to vote for gold." – George Bernard Shaw

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 40 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, 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), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 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.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 40 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Sport Shooting for Preppers, by C.K.

I’m going to talk about an aspect of survival that may or may not have been covered already. I haven’t seen it so far in SurvivalBlog, and it only gets a passing nod in many books.

An important aspect of just about everyone’s preps involves guns of some sort. You can see a lot of that in shows like “Doomsday Preppers.” I’d guess (because I haven’t seen every episode and I’m too lazy to do an exact count) that about 90% of the preppers featured on the show have or talk about having guns. Handguns, rifles, shotguns of a wide variety of shapes, sizes and calibers. Some of the episodes give a passing nod to gaining some level of proficiency with them, some episodes showcase the number the prepper has (probably to emphasize the degree of obsession the featured guest has with TEOTWAWKI). JWR’s novel “Patriots” talks about some of the characters taking classes at Front Sight. (Although I’d have picked a better school than that, like Gunsite or the Magpul guys).

Few people, blogs, books, or television shows talk about maintaining a level of proficiency. We all kind of talk around it, but it can be a grind, just training, training, training. It gets old quickly, it burns money for ammo (or components–if you’re not reloading, shame on you; but that’s another show) you’d probably spend on another prep, and it burns that most precious commodity, time.

So, what’s a prepper to do? How do you get past the monotony of just training? How do you introduce variety and keep the training dynamic?

I’d recommend getting involved in one or two sports. Yes, sports. Think about getting into either US Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) or International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) matches at your local club.

I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right. Neither is a substitute for real training. You still need to learn and practice the truly tactical stuff–room clearing, setting sectors of fire, dismounted patrolling, etc. Those are all things neither USPSA or IDPA will teach you.

Both games may also teach you a few bad habits, if you let them. USPSA lets you dump partially loaded magazines wherever you want, stand in doorways, eschew the use of cover or concealment. IDPA mandates slide lock reloads (unless you want the time penalty of a retention reload), considers concealment to be the same thing as cover, and mandates “tactical priority (if you have three targets arrayed near, far, and mid-range from left to right, you have to shoot near, mid, then far, even if it’s smarter to shoot left to right to because you can get effective hits faster).”

Both games also have some scoring methods which play to the game aspects (Virginia for USPSA and Limited Vickers for IDPA) and the courses of fire sometimes mandate stupidity (strong hand only shooting when you’d normally use two, etc.).

Finally, both games have ridiculous magazine restrictions to negate competitive advantage for people from states where they don’t limit you to a 10-round magazine. I shoot Custom Defensive Pistol in IDPA, where a .45 caliber is mandated, but I do it with a Springfield XD45 (my carry gun). Because I shoot CDP, I’m limited to an 8-round magazine, to negate my advantage over 1911 shooters. I sometimes shoot Production in USPSA with a Springfield XD(m), and am limited to 10 rounds, even though the gun holds 19 rounds of 9mm.

The other thing you’re probably thinking is that it’s too expensive to get into. USPSA, in particular, has a bad reputation for needing multi-thousand dollar guns and a lot of specialized equipment. IDPA is marginally better, but there is a division where folks shoot guns on the upper end of the cost scale. I can assure you that’s not the case. You can get into either game by buying a decent (Lorcins need not apply) gun and making sure you have at least five magazines, a holster, and magazine pouches/holders. You can use a decent concealed carry belt (web or leather, it’s your option) and you’re good to go.

The last criticism is that both sports are handgun-centric. While that’s true, both sports have long gun rules. The constraint is most the fact that few clubs have ranges large enough to accommodate long gun matches. But they are out there. If you can find one, you can get the same benefits with a rifle and shotgun, too.

So, what’s the true value?

There are four primary benefits.

First, you get trigger time in a dynamic environment to reduce the monotony of training. I burned about 300 rounds just this past weekend over the course of about six hours and was never bored. I shot two USPSA matches. In most areas of the country, there’s a USPSA or IDPA club within driving distance. You can probably find at least two matches a month to shoot for a minimum of expense (most match fees for club matches are less than $20). I live outside of St Louis, and within a three hour drive, I could shoot eight matches in a month, expending right around 2000 rounds each month. That would be a lot of shooting. It would be a lot of quality time with your gun. Learning its strengths and limitations, what kinds of ammo it likes, whether your handloads are worth a damn or not. And you get to do it in a fairly dynamic, and dare I say, fun environment.

Second, you learn to manipulate your chosen gun at speed. Regardless of how seriously you take the competitive aspects of either game, when the timer beeps, Type A people are going to move quickly. I’d wager most preppers are Type A’s. Why would you bother to prep and take all of the precautions to protect your preps if you weren’t? The clock-induced stress helps you learn how to draw, to do reloads, shoot, and deal with malfunctions when you’re not expecting them and when you’re distracted by other things. That translates into being much more confident with your gun and having practiced multiple repetitions of doing fundamental things under stress. You learn to manipulate the gun around walls, through ports, off-balance. Do you expect to always have the opportunity to get set in a perfect stance with a perfect grip when things go badly? Neither do I. One of the benefits of IDPA for concealed-carry guys (which I assume most of us are) is you learn to use your self-defense gun from concealment in this environment.

Along with that is the third benefit–handling your gun safely. Above all things, the rules for both sports emphasize safety. In one of the episodes of “American Preppers,” there’s a prepper dad who took his kids out to the desert to shoot. At some point, this jackwagon blows off his thumb, because he wasn’t handling his gun safely. While neither USPSA nor IDPA are, pardon the pun, silver bullets for keeping you from blowing off parts of your body, you learn to be very aware of what condition your gun is in and where the dangerous end is. At the very least, you forfeit the match if you’re unsafe. It’s also extremely embarrassing. Most important, it’s a self-critiquing event–you become a much safer shooter as a result.

Finally, you learn what acceptable combat accuracy really is. Many folks practice shooting groups and shrinking that group size to be as small as possible. But they don’t practice getting lead on a target as quickly as possible while still making effective hits. In USPSA, this translates into getting A-zone hits. In IDPA, this translates into being down nothing at the end of the stage. When you’re under the clock, you don’t have the luxury of absolutely perfect and clear sight alignment. You’re getting the front sight post into the notch, knowing there’s a cone of vulnerability at the end of your gun for the target, not a laser beam.

Like I said earlier, neither sport is a panacea for all of the training you need to fit with your guns. But neither are they totally useless. IDPA guys like to make fun of USPSA guys by saying IDPA is training for a gunfight. That’s nonsense. You can train, train, train to learn how to employ your gun, but you can only learn how to gunfight by doing just that (and I am, in no way, advocating going to look for opportunities to use your guns in a real world situation).

Like martial artist Bruce Lee said, “Absorb what is useful.” Shoot a few matches, find out what you’re really capable of doing with your guns. I’m a middle-of-the-pack USPSA shooter, so I’m not awesome at anything. But, I can draw my Model 1911 and shoot two aimed, combat-effective shots in less than two seconds, reacting to an external stimulus. I can execute a reload and fire an aimed, combat-effective shot in less than one and a quarter seconds. I instinctively react to malfunctions and go into remedial actions now.

Can you?

I have my sport shooting to thank for that.

Letter Re: Weighing the Merits of Retreat Areas

JWR,
I was hoping you could chime in for some feedback, as I think many of your readers are in a similar boat that my family is: Trying to balance professions and existing commitments against hunkering down for the coming storm.  Given the population density of some of the Midwest states… If you had to take relocating to a larger 60,000 population town in the American Redoubt (Idaho Falls, and the like) or living in the rural cornfields of the Midwest, and I correct you would advise locating to a medium sized American Redoubt city?  – Greg H.

JWR Replies: That all depends… Parts of the Midwest can be viable for retreats depending on their distance from population centers, the water table, and whether or not they are monocrop regions. But a place that is close to a city, with deep well depths and/or just one crop (corn) would be a bad thing.

Selecting a retreat locale is always a tradeoff. The desire to have isolation from urban areas and self-sufficiency has to be tempered by the need to make a living and to keep peace in your family.

While I tout the Redoubt, I don’t claim it has any magical exclusivity or that it is a panacea. You can make up for the higher population density of the Midwest and some of the eastern states by very carefully selecting bypassed areas that are well away from refugee lines of drift, and by stocking up on food and fuel in greater depth. (Since the period of lawlessness in a societal collapse will undoubtedly be longer, with higher population density, you may need to hunker down much longer.)

I would feel uncomfortable in a city with a population of 60,000, even in farming country. To my mind, the sweet spot is a population somewhere between 500 and 5,000. With less than 500 people, a town might not be defendable. And with any more than 5,000, the sense of community cohesion will likely be lost. (See my comments about this in my September, 2008 SurvivalBlog article: Finding a Mineshaft or a Gemeinschaft, and my earlier commentary on the We/They Paradigm.)

To look for some retreat locale possibilities outside of the 19 western states that I’ve analyzed, I highly recommend Joel and Andrew Skousen’s book Strategic Relocation–North American Guide to Safe Places. The updated Third Edition was just recently released.

Letter Re: A New Malware Threat

Hello, Mr Rawles:
I saw the Odds ‘n Sods piece where Michael Z. Williamson’s forwarded an article on the warning about “thousands of PCs infected” to lose Internet access that refers people to www.dcwg.org. I read the article.

Sorry, but I don’t trust going to such a site. It could easily be a government-based data collection site. It’s amazing how much information is passed along with simply browsing a web site. dcwg.org is registered to someone in Cupertino, California.

I found that www.DNS-OK.us will give the same information about whether a system is infected or not. That site is registered to Paul Vixie, whom the article refers to as their consultant. Vixie’s site will give you a green colored screen if you are clear and a red colored screen if you are infected. His site does warn that if your Internet Service Provider (ISP) redirects DNS, the Domain Name System, your computer might pass the test yet still have the infection. It seems that only Windows systems were affected, although ISPs could have been and they’re used by other systems, such as Linux and Mac systems.

After checking Vixie’s site, the easiest way to know if you may yet be infected is to check your DNS server addresses against the FBI’s bad list:

85.255.112.0 to 85.255.127.255 ——–> 85.255.112-127.0-255
67.210.0.0 to 67.210.15.255 ———–> 67.210.0-15.0-255
93.188.160.0 to 93.188.167.255 ——–> 93.188.160-167.0-255
77.67.83.0 to 77.67.83.255 ————> 77.67.83.0-255
213.109.64.0 to 213.109.79.255 ——–> 213.109.64-79.0-255
64.28.176.0 to 64.28.191.255 ———-> 64.28.176-191.0-255

For those who do not know about Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, notice that they contain four numbered parts with periods separating each part, sometimes called a dotted list. Each part will be a number in the range 0 to 255 inclusive. On the right I have denoted them as dotted range lists. For instance, if the first two or three dot-separated numbers, e.g., 85.255 or 77.67.83, do not match your DNS numbers then you are clear. If any in the bad list do match, the rest of the entry shows the ranges of the bad numbers. For instance, if your DNS server number starts with 85.255, then the third number must be between 112 and 127 inclusive to be a match in the bad list. If that third number matches then the fourth number is a guaranteed match.

Windows users can find out their DNS server IP addresses by opening the Start menu and selecting the Run option in the list. Type “cmd” and press ENTER. A window running cmd.exe will open. At the command prompt type “ipconfig /all” and press ENTER. At the end of the output will be a list of DNS Servers. Check the DNS IP address numbers against the bad list. One address could be the router’s address, typically beginning with 192.168. If that’s in the list of server addresses, you may have to login to your router to see what it denotes as its server. The router connects to the ISP, which does the real Internet access.

To check the DNS server that your ISP gave your router, login to the router. Start a web browser, click your mouse pointer in the location box, erase whatever is already in there, and type the IP address that ipconfig showed as the “Default Gateway.”

The router’s web page may prompt for your router’s login name and password. If you did not change the login info from the initial settings that came from the router manufacturer, shame on you! Those names and passwords are documented and well known to system crackers — check your router’s manual. That would be the way someone could have changed yours. Enter your name and password and check your DNS Server’s IP address against the bad list.

If the router’s DNS address is on the bad list call your ISP’s technical support immediately. Should you get the red screen on Paul Vixie’s site instead of the green, or one of your own system’s DNS address is on the bad list, you may have to reformat your disk drive, reinstall your operating system, all your software, and your data files. You should have a backup of your important files stored somewhere so that reinstalling is merely an inconvenient, time-consuming pain, but you are not left out in the cold. Be careful of a simple restore of your entire operating system from your backup because you may have backed up the infected system and you would just reinfect it with the restore. Safest to start from scratch. Install from your operating system and various programs you use from manufacturer’s disks.

If you’re not familiar with these operations, consider consulting a friend, relative, or neighbor who is familiar or contracting with a computer professional to help. – Larry R.

Economics and Investing:

G.G. flagged this Reuters report: Bank of Japan likely to ease, may buy longer-dated government bonds

Peter S. sent this: US home prices drop yet again

Also from Peter: Greece economy to shrink another 5%

 

Items from The Economatrix:

Outlay of $14 Trillion Hasn’t Solved Problem of Debt

The Best Reason in the World to Buy Gold

Unemployment Rate:  “Number Doesn’t Match Reality”

German Tempers Boil Over Back-door Euro Rescues

Odds ‘n Sods:






James C. recommended a video by Mas Ayoob and Tom Gresham how to handle a police traffic stop when carrying a concealed weapon.

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Over at Philosophical Pilot: Connect the Dots

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Wonders Never Cease Department: “Cold Tracer” Glow Ammunition. (A hat tip to George S. for the link.)

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Mary F. suggested this: New Fashion Wrinkle: Stylishly Hiding the Gun

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Some reminders on our non-fiction writing contest rules:

1.) You can write on any topic related to preparedness or survival that you think would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. Again, to be eligible, an article must be an original work of at least 1,500 words. (2,500 to 4,000 words is ideal. Very long articles are allowed, but may be serialized, as the editors see fit.)

2.) Be sure to thoroughly proofread your article, and and have at least one friend or relative proofread it, as well!

3.) All writings must be original works and the copyright will become the property of SurvivalBlog. Anyone sending a letter or article grants the right for posting, reproduction, or any other use. Non-fiction articles only. (No fiction, poetry, or prose pieces will be accepted.)

4.) Once your article has been posted at SurvivalBlog, you cannot submit it elsewhere. The copyright belongs to SurvivalBlog.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“I believe that liberty is the only genuinely valuable thing that men have invented, at least in the field of government, in a thousand years. I believe that it is better to be free than to be not free, even when the former is dangerous and the latter safe. I believe that the finest qualities of man can flourish only in free air – that progress made under the shadow of the policeman’s club is false progress, and of no permanent value. I believe that any man who takes the liberty of another into his keeping is bound to become a tyrant, and that any man who yields up his liberty, in however slight the measure, is bound to become a slave.” – H.L. Mencken

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 40 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, 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), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 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.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 40 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Basic Preparations for Urban Outskirts in Third World Countries, by Jorge Gato

The following observations are geared toward expats or even locals living in the Third World, although most would apply as well to residents of the First World.
Here in México, there have been countless horror stories, albeit, most of them not life threatening and essentially not classifiable as DEFCON 1 situations. Both expats and locals have been the victims of countless assaults. An acquaintance on the street was recently told simply to hand over his money and music player.

Another fellow, a philosopher, became inspired at midnight on a city street and only had his laptop to record his divine whispers. Not soon after, a guy hit him with a stick, grabbed his laptop and ran off toward a taxi in waiting. As the philosopher chased him, the taxi ended up backing into the victim and he rolled over the car, as dozens of bystanders did nothing. He suffered no serious injury.
Yet another instance was when a man was getting out of his vehicle, he was approached by a robber while accomplices waited in a vehicle nearby. The robber wanted everything including the man’s watch. It had been a gift from dead grandparents and he told him you can have everything but you’re not taking the watch, respect the dead. He got lucky keeping his life as the thief drove away in the man’s vehicle. It was later found stripped to the bone for the spare parts black market. He had been complaining to his landlord to install a security fence for the driveway for exactly this reason, to no avail.

A final example was when an expat had recently been arrested by a mini-brigade of armed federal police pointing automatic weapons at him and a companion, for driving his own car. He had apparently tried for years to clear his car’s name, as it had been stolen and recovered. It still registered as stolen in police databases. The police most likely knew it was his, but detained him for eighteen hours in a jail cell smeared with excrement and swarming with mosquitoes. They were surprised when his lawyer showed up, essentially catching them red handed. It seems they were either looking for a bribe or to take the car. It is important to note that this particular individual generally is one who is generally a bit careless hence his frequent run in with trouble.

My home had been broken into while on vacation. The three things the thief got away with? One was an old ounce of silver on my coffee table. Next, he spotted a pack of Marlboro’s I kept as a prank for friends. Needles to say, I found one of my exploded cigarettes on the floor. Finally, he took my desktop replacement laptop only to discover once he got home, that it had gone completely defunct about a week prior. He also had missed an ounce of gold I had hidden away (which has since been relocated).
After this relatively harmless wake-up call, I have begun to take certain vigilant measures.

Electronics
Although my laptop was defunct, it may have been possible to recover any personal data I may have had on the hard disks. I immediately changed all my passwords. What I am doing now is to encrypt my personal data via free software such as True Crypt. Because I also occasionally hear of daytime break-ins via friends of friends, I keep my computer secured via laptop locks. If I leave for extended periods, I move the laptop to a safe place outside of the home or take it with me. It is good to have a safe place such as work or the home of someone you can trust to care of any valuables. I have not owned a television for over half a decade. I also use an extension internet cable in the home and not wireless both to mitigate health issues from Electro Magnetic Pollution (EMP) and security risks associated with hackers. I do the same at work to lessen the effect of the Wi-Fi signal.

Precious Metals
One lesson I had learned was to find a better hiding place for any metals I may have around. I was lucky the thief had not found my ounce of gold, but this just goes to show that it was likely somebody who lacked experience this time around. The key is to think of smarter locations to place these valuables. An additional trick would be to leave easier to find bait so as to deter interest from the real stash. Also, one can diversify by holding both local and foreign allocated metals accounts. There are local banks where you can open silver accounts and you always have the option of safety deposit.

Personal Safety
The window bars which the thieves pried open on the front of the house were cheap. They were immediately replaced with thicker bars. I was also amazed that I had overlooked the simple placement of a wooden stick between the window and the window frame, so as to prevent someone from being able to push the window open in the case they are able to pry their way in (the same has been done to all windows).
I went out and bought motion detection lights for the front of the home. I also have purchased a few high voltage stun guns. One thing residents and citizens must do is investigate local laws. I have recently acquired my firearms license from my home state which, though not valid in a foreign country, may prove useful. I have spoken to military and it is legal for citizens or residents to purchase a firearm of a caliber lower than what is currently used by national forces. I plan to purchase a firearm for the home and a safe in which to store it. There is also an Israeli IDF soldier which runs a Krav Maga center with whom I have taken courses. I plan to make it a regular habit to attend his firearms seminars as well as self-defense courses. In most cases, you will not want to walk around with much money, so if you are confronted, you should most likely give up what cash is on you. Depending on your assessment of the situation, you may need to prepare for action if the thieves want more than just your cash and put you in a life or death situation.

Food
Each trip to the store means buying a few extra of each item in order to stock up. Extras are stored in bins and rotated. Seeing as the water from the tap is not fit to drink (and in some instances come out discolored), filters have been placed on the shower and faucet to provide clean water for cooking, brushing teeth (with non-fluoride toothpaste) and showering. I believe fluoride is not added to the water here, but the water is otherwise of horrid quality, containing all types of pollutants, metals and chemicals. Drinking water here normally is purchased filtered in twenty liter containers. I keep four or more at a time, which would last me a good while were anything to happen.  It really only rains here during the rainy season which lasts for three to four months, but a small rain collection unit would be possible to install.
I also keep a good stock of liquor, beer and wine, this not generally for personal consumption, but for guests as well as possible barter use. I now am planning to start growing food on the roof to supplement purchases and serve as a reserve. There are increased reports of the spread in common food of genetically engineered organisms so I make it a point to purchase “organic” (or what our grandparents used to call just “food”). I also use a regimen of about a dozen of the top supplements one can take, many of which have been suggested by “Over the Counter Natural Cures” and include astaxanthin, curcumin, vitamin K2, krill oil, spirulina, chlorophyll, mushrooms, CoQ10, milk thistle, melatonin, colloidal silver and alpha-lipoic acid. It is also important to purchase brands which at least do not contain conventional magnesium stearate, which is used in the manufacturing process. I also keep items such as potassium iodide, water purification pills and filters on hand, such as the Swiss made Katadyn pocket filter. A survival backpack that would last a week is also stashed and ready to go.

Vehicle
I keep my car well-maintained and take it in regularly for a tune-up so as not to be surprised by malfunctions at times or in places where you really wouldn’t want to be stuck. Unfortunately, I have seen people here, who are generally short-sighted, suffer continuously for lack of foresight. They would wait instead until the problem gets really bad before they deal with it. One person had a leaking radiator and because they continued to drive it for a few days, ended up having to spend almost $1000 on repairing a number of parts destroyed as a result of the malfunctioning radiator.
I keep essential items such as jumper cables, quick tire inflation can, medical kit, blankets and such stored in the trunk. I also keep a spare ten-liter canister ready to go in the case of any fuel disruption. The spare tire which is on the outside of the vehicle has been secured via a combination lock, as thieves have also been known to take those (happened recently to a friend). One neighbor had her car stereo stolen right out from under her nose in the middle of the night, as her vehicle was parked right below her bedroom window. The car only has a cassette player and there are no objects visible inside the car, so as not to give incentive to thieves. The car itself is an old used vehicle that doesn’t attract attention. It is wise to recall the instances of armed robbery here, which target high-value vehicles. All papers are kept in the glove compartment as well as printouts of my visa and relevant Mexican laws in case I get stopped by an unethical officer.

Passport
It is good to take out as much identification as possible. I not only have an American state driver’s license but a state ID, passport as well as card which would allow land travel through North America. I am also in the process of obtaining a local driver’s license. A second passport is a must. If the USSA intends to revoke my passport for whichever reason, I’ll have another to go on. I have heard from other expats, such as the Dollar Vigilante, that it is best to have two passports and to live in a third country of which you are not a citizen, in which case the government would have less power over you. Others have argued the contrary, where as a citizen, you have more tools for righting a wrong at your disposal.

These may seem like common sense preparations, but the funny thing is, literally 99.9% of the people I know haven’t got a clue. However, I have befriended a few like-minded individuals. One of them is a family man and we have discussed the collapse scenario. He has a well-fortified home with solar power. His benefit to having me join him in a time of crisis is adding protection for his family. A collapse scenario essentially is a numbers game and having an extra individual who is self-sufficient would not drain the person’s own resources.

I have accumulated this strategy gradually over time and though it hasn’t been cheap, it also hasn’t broken the bank. As a result, I sleep a bit sounder knowing that if there are disruptions, I’ll have less to worry about.