Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The term ‘assault weapon’ has always been misleading and disingenuous. I have yet to see in all my years a ‘retreat rifle’, a ‘Mexican standoff rifle’, or an ‘advance slowly rifle’. All rifles are capable of inflicting fatal and near fatal wounds. They would be worthless if they weren’t so capable. If some look scarier than others, that would only help in their perceived effectiveness by the enemy and should help shorten the fight. Why would you want it any different? The most dangerous rifle is the one in the hands of a capable rifleman, regardless of type. The most dangerous thing to a country’s liberty is the ignorance of its electorate. Through ignorance, those uninformed voters give away the very means to keep their precious rights intact. That is a scary dangerous thing.” – Rickj27, in a comment on an October, 2011 American Thinker article on the majority of public sentiment opposing gun bans.

Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 37 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) 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 B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $300 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo, and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) 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, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) 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.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, C.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and D.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 37 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

State Defense Force Service as a Preparedness Training Resource, by M.K.

I advocate that you seriously consider incorporating state organized militia service as a key element of a developing or ongoing personal preparedness strategy.  At this time, twenty-two states have some form of active state sanctioned/sponsored militia organization, all of which are incorporated into each of those states’ military organization.  Generally, these state organized militias are collectively referred to as State Defense Forces (SDFs), though the various states refer to their organizations within a narrow range of naming conventions.  Some examples include, the Texas State Guard, Virginia State Defense Force, Ohio Military Reserve, etc. Though state defense forces are official elements of state militaries, they cannot be called up for federal service, may not be deployed outside of their state (unless the members volunteer in some unique circumstances), and may not be deployed outside the United States under any circumstance.  The military formations are prohibited by law from serving under direct federal military command and cannot be activated into federal service.  Individual service members with potential federal service obligations may be called into federal service, though the issue is moot as they would already be called into service regardless of membership or not in state defense forces. 

Each of these state defense forces are legitimate military formations recognized under the United States Constitution, the State Constitutions of the various states, and relevant laws at both the state and federal levels.  Their missions generally focus on disaster response, emergency management, and/or homeland security.  I am a member of the Texas Maritime Regiment of the Texas State Guard.  The Texas Maritime Regiment trains and operates with the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife (man-tracking and boat patrols on Texas rivers and lakes); the Texas Forestry Service (heavy equipment operations for wildfire containment and natural/man-made disaster support); the United States Coast Guard (homeland security waterborne patrolling and natural/manmade disaster waterborne response).  Each state defense force will have missions that lean heavily toward disaster response or emergency management, the nature of which will be dependent on the unique nature of the state’s environment and needs.  Regardless, in most cases, state defense force training, experiences, resources and associations can be advantageous to those preparing to thrive after a disastrous or catastrophic event.

Advantage – Training

Some SDF programs are more robust and developed than others, so, depending on the training standards and program quality of a particular state defense force, the value of service based training can vary broadly.  However, from a preparedness standpoint, service in your State Defense Force may offer multiple advantages for the individual seeking development of new skills or retention of known skills.  Since disaster preparedness on an individual basis shares a common theme with disaster preparedness on a community basis, there are skill-sets, knowledge bases, and resources that are equally valuable in both circumstances.  Some examples include emergency medical training and equipment access, communication training and equipment access, map-reading and land navigation, survival skills, tactical skills, weapons training, etc.  Based on discussions I’ve had with members of other SDFs and reviews of various sources, the quality and nature of training can be fairly divergent from unit to unit within a state defense force, and also from state to state.

As a rule, to become proficient, those who do not already have such skills from prior federal service or other experiences have to spend money on obtaining such training, as well as develop and dedicate resources on practical skill maintenance.  The quality of privately obtained training or individually developed experience may not always provide adequate value for the expense.  In general, relevant training in these and other skills are part and parcel of state defense force service at no, or minimal, out-of-pocket expense. 

Some, though not all, of otherwise expensive training presented throughout my ongoing service in the Texas Maritime Regiment at minimal cost, if any, to me include: land navigation, first aid, advanced first aid, CPR and AED, combat medic, ASP baton, scuba diving, Taser, active-shooter (ALERRT), emergency response base camp establishment and operation, human tracking, boat operation, tactical employment, personal security detachment operations, vehicle licensure for federal military vehicles (various), military emergency management specialist courses, Ham radio certification, rappelling and rope work, swift water rescue familiarization training, etc.  Much of this was complementary to my prior federal service in the USMC. In some cases, it simply allows me to keep relatively current on some skills, while some were completely new for me. 

Naturally, as in most things, you get out of it what you put in.  For those who hit the ground running with the expectation of taking advantage of every opportunity to develop themselves, the training should be available somewhere.  In some cases, there are expensive training options wholly paid by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  An example is the instructor course for Incident Response to Terrorist Bombing, a four day course in New Mexico for which DHS pays for round-trip air fare, car rental, course tuition, lodging, and a meal stipend.  For this and other such courses, I know I like to feel like some of my tax dollars are directly benefiting me in a positive way.  There are other examples that are pretty much closed to those who are not part of law enforcement, emergency first responders, or part of the Homeland Security infrastructure.  For some examples of courses available to state defense force personnel, go to www.ruraltraining.org. My view on this is that I have already spent the money in the form of taxation, now its time to get back some of what I already paid out.

Advantage – Experiences

Due to the nature of the missions of SDFs as most significantly applicable to natural disasters or large scale emergencies, SDF activation is most likely under those or similar circumstances.  In the states along the Gulf of Mexico our most frequent full activations are associated with hurricanes.  Operating in areas devastated by hurricanes with no running water, no electricity, no retail fuel sources, no retail food stores, no restaurants, etc., gives one an increased appreciation for some of what may be faced in a full grid-down environment.  There is literally no amount of simulation that can compare to operating in such an environment for an extended period.  Rather than trying to strain your brain to guess what might be faced and what the best responses are, reality is all around you to absorb and store as personal experience.  Recent events with large scale wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and disrupted the lives of thousands of Texans also provide us with the opportunity to experience some of what might be faced at various times.  Additionally, we gain experience with oil and chemical spills on those unfortunate occasions when Man’s plans don’t mesh well with God’s reality. 

Since we are not simply spectators from afar in these disasters and emergencies, we gain critical experience in how to respond in these situations, what equipment, resources, training, and techniques are most useful.  Essentially, state defense force personnel operate in the realm of hard reality in disaster areas, the value of which cannot be realistically substituted.  Though I have no experience with other states’ forces, my best guess is that every state with an SDF has some sort of practical operational application that will provide real world added value experience, be it tornados, earthquakes, flooding, etc.

Advantage – Resources

In some cases the state provides access to resources that would otherwise be unavailable or prohibitively expensive.  The first thing that comes to mind is bottled water and MREs.  During activation for disaster response, we are provided practically unlimited access to MREs, both for our use and distribution to impacted civilians.  At the conclusion of the disaster or emergency response, state officials have always indicated a preference for total distribution of these meals, as the effort to return them to storage represents additional and needless expense, particularly as these are provided by the federal government as part of the emergency management process.  As a lifelong taxpayer whose experience has seen money flowing one way, away from my pocket, I consider this legal and authorized retention of provided resources a reasonable partial return on prior payments.

Another element that might be seen as valuable to some is the first line access to vaccinations for pandemics for state military forces personnel and our nuclear family members.  Because of reported issues of major side-effects from vaccinations, I recognize everyone may not want one, but for those who do, we are provided first access as emergency response personnel. 

Some of the other advantages are federal income tax deductions for service associated equipment purchases such as gear, ammunition, uniform clothing, etc.  This, in and of itself, has a direct value for those who are still developing or deepening their preparedness resources.  In Texas there are some providers, vendors, or retailers who offer military discounts on non-military items.  Though there are many others, one example is the McDonald’s restaurant chain.  While this might not seem immediately relevant to a prepper, my perspective is that every dollar I don’t spend elsewhere is one more dollar that can be focused on preparedness needs and saving where possible is another element to improving one’s overall position.  Along this vein, we have college tuition reimbursement programs, discounts for various state or other government services, free vehicle registration, etc.  All these can pile up and represent a fairly tidy sum to apply toward your own disaster preparedness program.

Another resource consideration not to be overlooked is early access to critical decision-making information.  I was at one time assigned to the intelligence section of our unit, during which time I joined the National Military Intelligence Association which provides a regular open source compilation of daily news that might be of interest in improving situational awareness.  Also, because the state defense forces are integrated at the top levels with the national military and emergency management structure, to be effective in responding to a developing situation the personnel must be “brought on line” before an event reaches a critical point.  In the event a grid down collapse develops as opposed to occurs suddenly (such as a CME or nuclear incident), military personnel will receive warning orders or pre-activation notification.  Such information may provide sufficient lead time to activate your personal program, getting you and/or your family away from the immediate threat area if possible.  What I’m picturing is getting your family, friends, constituents, or group members rolling to a bug-out location immediately on receipt of such a notice, beating mass evacuations and/or roadblocks not yet set up.

Advantage – Association

While this is a bit intangible with pretty wide opportunities for success or failure, in my case it is directly responsible for being invited into an existing retreat plan.  As one inevitably discusses issues and events with those closest to you, there is a very good chance of interacting with like minded people who may have an interest in developing a closer association.  In my case, gaining access to a working ranch with an ongoing and relatively well developed program represents an immediate savings of thousands of dollars, hundreds of hours, and may ultimately save the lives of me and my family.  While I don’t expect everyone to experience the same process exactly, I hope the value of interacting with military personnel with the same or similar understanding of threat probabilities is apparent to everyone.

Advantage – Legitimacy

Without getting into discussion of the Constitutional merits of independent non-aligned militias, my view is there are particular values relative to the legitimate exercise of authority in disaster environments through membership in a state sponsored militia.  The value of bearing a state issued and officially recognized military identification when moving in a developing threat environment can be extraordinarily high.  Military identification allows one to move legitimately in areas and along routes that are otherwise denied to the population at large.  This in and of itself has value in that during evacuation, if one were to be caught up in one, travel along otherwise restricted roadways greatly enhances the speed at which one can reach a particular location.  In my experience, approaching a roadblock in uniform with orders and ID in hand results in the removal of the roadblock before even coming to a full stop.  As a member of the state military forces, you are seen to be part of the legitimate response structure because you are a legitimate part of that structure.  All of the elements are designed to operate together to improve the overall response so, just as we might be manning a roadblock and move it aside for a law enforcement officer, a truck full of firemen, etc., the same benefit accrues to the SDF member.

An additional benefit to being a credentialed member of a state defense force in a post-collapse environment is there is naturally an ingrained unwillingness of most people to initiate hostilities with an apparently organized, uniformed, armed, military force moving through their environs.  While it is likely this would not always be the case, an increase in probability one can avoid conflict is an increase in the probability of eventual success in getting wherever it is you might be trying to go.  Secondly, in the likely event there are problematic persons or groups in an area you may be in, there is an increased probability legitimately credentialed military personnel could expect and receive greater assistance from an otherwise non-aligned populace.  In other words, people would be more prone to help out in forming a posse to crush some roaming gang if the request were to come from Gunnery Sergeant Smith and troops of the State Military Forces, than from Bob Smith, the guy who lives in the farm down the road with his friends and cousins.  Questions of authority and competence will likely be reduced in the first instance, whereas one can imagine folks wondering who in the heck this Bob guy thinks he is to come around trying to form a posse or whatever.

Furthermore, short-term post-collapse society may still include those do not grasp the extent of changes and whose prior positions and responsibilities in law-enforcement drive them to consider arresting openly armed persons.  In such a circumstance, were one to be traveling or operating with or without a group, being well-armed, uniformed, and credentialed should alleviate most concerns such a former law-enforcement individual might have.  My consideration is that SDF personnel are more likely to be welcomed as potential help, or even viewed as an opportunity to enlist into an apparently functional remnant of social stability, than be viewed as a potential threat justifying attempting an arrest.

Because most folks I speak to are more interested in thriving over the long-haul versus barely surviving, and recognize there are clear advantages to working as part of a community to achieve those aims, the likelihood of success is enhanced by an effective armed organization that can serve as the basis for community defense.  As in most things of a preparedness nature, early beats too late.  Joining your State Defense Force as soon as one reasonably can will provide the opportunities to gain from the advantages previously discussed.  Space limitations prevent me from expanding this discussion further, though in reality the advantages are extensive for preparedness minded folks.

Advantage – Oath Keeping and Honor Maintenance

One of my rules in life, but particularly regarding preparedness, is that most actions or decisions should have multiple justifications.  Service in state defense forces should not be simply to improve one’s preparedness posture, but also to serve our fellow citizens and work to improve society.  It is in our nature as decent people to help others in need and do our part in protecting what is great and positive in our nation and among our people.  We take oaths to do so, and desire to serve with honor and distinction.  The potential exists, however, that conflicts might arise regarding one’s duty to God, to self, to family, or to the state and fellow citizens.  One example that comes to mind is a need to focus on family in the event of a serious long-term illness.  Thankfully, most if not all state defense force services have an avenue should such an instance develop.

In general, the laws governing state defense forces provide personnel the option of resigning prior to completion of an enlistment period.  As a rule, enlistments are “open-ended” in that there is no cut-off date at which one must re-enlist to maintain active status, so when one is ready to discharge from a state defense force a resignation is performed – essentially a request for honorable discharge.  My research suggests past practice is, barring criminal activity or some heinous violation of the state code of military justice, honorable discharges are essentially immediately in effect upon resignation and officially granted as the paperwork gets processed.  By providing this option of resignation, a personal mechanism of control for the maintenance and assurance of personal honor and sense of duty exists that federal service members lack.  Federal forces do not have that luxury, but must generally fulfill their full terms of enlistment.

Disadvantages – Expense

State Defense Forces are usually not paid for training, and what they are paid for periods of activation are normally not much.  Because the budgets for state active service in militia units is fairly small, organizations that want to have an aggressive training program need to be inventive and willing to explore training opportunities both internally and from “non-traditional” training sources.  Fire departments may provide rappelling training, local police departments may offer training in SWAT tactics, Army National Guard units might help with land navigation, while an Air National Guard unit provides communication training.  The point is, unlike federally subsidized military forces with training bases, budgets, and large cadres of trainers and instructors, state forces frequently have to be more adaptive to practically non-existent training budgets to develop useful skill-sets and knowledge bases in their personnel.

Though there may be slots in the state budget for uniforms and gear, the reality is that most, if not all, of the necessary military uniforms and equipment must be privately purchased.  One of the mechanisms found to help mitigate the personal impact on this is creating a non-profit that accepts tax deductible donations from businesses to help defray large expenses.  This can be particularly helpful in areas that strongly support state defense forces.  Regardless, ideally everything purchased for service should be dual use as part of a personal disaster response plan, so the expenses are what one would already be spending anyway on preparedness supplies. 

Finally, many employers do not support their employees with paid time off for state military service, though my understanding is that in Texas there are laws that provides the same level of job protection as that afforded to personnel in federal or National Guard service.  On the other hand, some employers provide full pay and benefits while attending training or on active service deployments.  That would definitely be something to explore prior to joining a state defense force.

Conclusion

In my view based on my experience in the Texas Maritime Regiment of the Texas State Guard, from the standpoint of value in enhancing a personal preparedness strategy, the advantages of membership in a state defense force far outweigh the few disadvantages of cost.  I strongly encourage those who have state defense forces active in their states to seriously consider membership as a means of dramatically enhancing their preparedness posture.  For those in Texas who might wish to explore this further, please go to http://1bntmar.weebly.com/.  If you reside in a different state, Wikipedia has a complete list of states with active state defense forces, most with links to discover more from the official web sites.

Thinking Outside the Box, by Karen I.

My father was an engineer at Boeing, and Boeing builds in (or at least they used to) triple redundancy.  Kind of hard to find a hardware store or plane mechanic mid-air over the Atlantic, so you can see why what appears to be over-building really isn’t in the case of an airplane.  You might think that to effect this on the ground you’d need three or more of everything, but that’s not actually the case.  What you need for food, for example, is obviously more than one year’s supply.  You aren’t going to quit eating if you can help it, but what happens when your food stocks start to diminish?  Grow it.  That’s your Plan B, put into effect as soon as you commence Plan A if you aren’t already growing food.  Triple redundancy enters into the equation when you stop and consider how to deal with disease, a crop failure, bad weather or a bug infestation.  For example, do you know how to combine vegetable proteins in case your source of chickens or other animal protein is no longer available (quinoa happens to be a complete protein, BTW, and you can grow it in your garden in most climates)?  Note that this isn’t a physical ‘backup’ per se; knowing how to combine proteins, and that you don’t necessarily have to eat strange combinations of lentils and bean sprouts at the same meal to take advantage of the benefits of combining, isn’t a thing, it’s knowledge you acquire.  In this example, your plan A is your foodstuffs on hand, Plan B is your gardening, and Plan C, if the chickens die, is vegetarian protein combining.  Part of your ‘Plan C’ could be also be foraging or trading skills or goods for food as well. 
 
If you already have Plan A and Plan B, you probably already have a Plan C as well.  If your Plan C is kind of vague, now’s a good time to play ‘what if’ and think what you would do, and what you would need, if Plans A and B weren’t workable for some reason.  ‘Plan C’ isn’t restricted to what you do when everything else fails, either.  You can acquire and/or practice your ‘Plan C’ skills any time and incorporate them into your everyday life.  In the process you may find that Plan C is actually better than, or at least would be a good part of, Plans A or B.
 
Just as you regularly check the oil level in your car, you also need to check the feasibility and practicality of your disaster contingency plans.  Major changes and sometimes even minor ones should be looked at when they occur.  Plan B may be to bug out, but if so, what about health issues that have arisen that were not a problem when you were planning previously, such as illness or injuries?  Will you need to prepare for children who are not currently living at home but may come back to live with you?  Has a parent or other relative become dependant on you for support, or has a new baby entered the picture?   Plan C can also include options for alternate scenarios, such as ‘Grandma comes to our house’ vs. ‘Grandma goes to Jane’s house’ and what you would do if Jane needed the supplies you put aside for Grandma or vice versa.
 
In my own planning, I got frustrated with all the detail, lack of detail and contradictions among different lists and lists of lists of supplies and confused as to how all those lists would actually assist me in preparing for what I personally need for emergencies.  In desperation, I started thinking, instead, in terms of tasks to try to simplify things, like how would I wash dishes, or bake biscuits.  When I break a task down into its composite parts or steps, I find I’m much more likely to prepare to be able to do that task without leaving out something critical. 
 
Take washing dishes as an example.  I know my process:  I usually scrape off the big chunks, rinse off the soluble stuff, and then slap on some dish soap and use a scrubber to go over the surface, inside and out.  Then I rinse the dish, drain it and then dry it if I’m feeling ambitious.   So, I need a scraper, water, something to hold the water, a scrubber, dish soap, vinegar (for the rinse water – it removes soap and is also a disinfectant), something to put the dishes on while they drain, a towel to dry the dishes, and – what?  Did I leave anything off?  Yep, some way of heating the water.  There’s no way I’m washing dishes in ice-cold water in winter.  So, add a big pot and a way of making fire to the mix just in case.  Oh, and some hand lotion.  No dishpan hands for me!
 
One step further:  I’m making dirty water and towels when I wash dishes (paper plates are only good in the short term; eventually, you have to go back to the hard copies, as it were).  How to dispose of the water?  Easy:  toss it somewhere out of the way and it will fertilize plants (I’m on acreage so that’s not an issue) or filter and boil it for reuse.  How to clean the towels?  Back to the task-based method of breaking down what I need:  water, a container, a heat source, soap, a way of drying the towels, and some way of agitating the water and soap together to get the towels clean.  This will work for washing other things like clothes, so preparing for that task is already pretty much thought out.  Similarly, how to make bread?  We have a grill, and plenty of mesquite charcoal – might make for some interesting biscuits – but I need recipes that will work (see the Prepared Pantry web site for emergency bread recipes), a way of telling the temperature so I don’t make more charcoal (oven thermometer), a way of timing the cooked items (dial timer), plus all the usual pots and measuring cups, ingredients, etc.  In this instance, the only thing I needed was recipes because everything else was already on hand.
 
This doesn’t rule out the use of lists of items.  Rather, it’s an adjunct to lists, especially if you are relying on someone else’s list.  It’s just like thinking of cooking something or making something only to realize once you start in on it that you are out of a key ingredient or component, like eggs or a decent table saw blade.  The recipe is a list of ingredients, and reviewing it will remind you you’re out of eggs; a bill of materials can act as the ‘recipe’ in the same way.  In the case of cooking or prototyping where you might not be relying on a recipe or plan, your ‘list’ is partially task based and partially list based, based on extrapolating from previous experience and your mental run-down of what you have on hand for the task as you gather materials or ingredients.
 
You may find that for some tasks you need to visualize what needs to be done in order to come up with a task based list if they are things you don’t do every day and can’t easily replicate on the spur of the moment.  Try imagining how you would do a task if you didn’t have all your usual tools and materials.  No power = no sewing machine that runs on electricity.  Do you have a treadle?  Can you sew by hand?  Do you have adequate scissors for cutting fabric?  Needles to sew with?  Thread, pins and buttons?  Ever put in a zipper by hand?  Sewn on a button or snap?  Mentally going through the process may alert you to related things you either need to practice or learn to do from scratch as well as what you need on hand to do the task.
 
If you are preparing for a task that someone else usually does, you may need input from that person, keeping in mind that memory may not be reliable when coming up with a list of items needed because the person who does the task regularly may not stop and think about the process each time it’s done, but rather go by rote.  One way to reduce gaps in preparing is to have that person actually teach you the process; between the two of you, you should have a fairly good idea of what’s needed and you can ask questions about the process to get a more in-depth view of needed supplies.  Washing dishes, for example, might have additional requirements like copper cleaner for the bottoms of pots and pans or salt to clean a cast iron pot, depending on personal preference; I wash the dishes and I doubt my husband would think to have salt on hand to clean the Dutch oven.
 
Sometimes you have to think in terms of actual functionality to get something better than what’s available for, say, agitating water while washing clothes.  A personal example for me is a commercially-made device that you plunge up and down in the water.  It’s pricey and I read that it tends to rust.  Well, toilet plungers don’t rust.  Problem is they have short handles.  So, new toilet plunger, and a longer, screw-in handle to make it easier to use.  Result:  washing device that won’t rust, was cheap, and is easy on the back.
 
Another example might be a paint brush temporarily taped to the end of a mop handle to reach a high corner when the ladder’s not convenient.  You can see this in action on a much larger scale on the Instructables or Lifehacker web sites, among others, where people deliberately set out to stretch the boundaries of a material’s uses or find entirely new uses for something – and it’s not all duct tape wallets.  In reality, this is all MacGyver was doing, thinking of items not in terms of their names or usual intended purposes, but more as raw material with which to build. 
 
A potato peeler can peel other vegetables and fruit too; a mesh tea ball can also hold bay leaves and rosemary for pot roast, and you can make a funnel out of the top of a plastic water bottle or aluminum foil or even a piece of paper in a pinch.  Ignore the name of the thing – what does it do?  What is it capable of being used for in terms of strength or durability or flexibility?  What could you put it to use for instead of its usual or intended purpose? 
 
If you don’t have what you need to do the task, what else have you got that can you use?  Everything is free game for repurposing.  What you call it isn’t what it’s limited to.  What it’s usually used for isn’t the only thing you can use it for.
 
If you’ve ever run out of something while cooking, you’re familiar with this process.  If you don’t have a ½ cup measure available and need a pretty exact amount of something, what else can you use?  Four measures using a coffee scoop (two tablespoons), among other things.  If you run out of eggs, you can substitute unsweetened applesauce in many recipes.  No nail set handy?  Another nail will do in a pinch.  These are perfectly good ‘McGyvers’, ways of achieving the desired end while using a different measure or ingredient or component. 
 
It may take time to make these methods part of your preparations if you choose to use them; they may involve letting go of some preconceptions such as the ‘proper’ use for an item or you may find it too disruptive to change from a list-based to a list-and-task-based system.  You may find, however, that just thinking about your planning can result in an entirely new and more effective methodology. 

Letter Re: The Ultimate Altoids Tin Survival Kit

Dear SurvivalBloggers:
I’d like to thank J.C.R. for his article on the survival kit tins.  I have been meaning to put mine together for a while his article definitely gave me some more things to think about.  However, while I have not completed my tin build, I have been thinking about the different aspects. 

I have seen various articles advising that we prepare for what is most likely first (power outage, snowed in for a few days, etc.) up to however far you want to take it (up to a total apocalyptic event).  With this in mind, I feel you should build your tin for the most likely situation you will find yourself in.  For instance, if you are about to go hiking, hunting, camping, or similar type activity, then what we normally think of as the “survival tin” should be taken along.  However, if you are going to church and then out to eat afterwards, a different type of tin could be carried.  Whereas one tin would contain fire and steel, the other would contain a highlighter.  Paracord is replaced with floss.  You get the idea.  Of course there can be a lot of overlap.  Flashlights, band aids, and common medication will be handy in almost any situation.  As my tins are still a work in progress, I do not have much advice on what to carry but figuring out what you think you might need is half the fun. 

One thing I am interested in trying out is adding small containers of liquids and gels to the kit.  I commonly have access to dental supplies and some of the containers are quite small and seal up very well.  I was thinking I might add some vaseline to help give my kindling some staying power or a little bleach to help make me feel safer about the water.  So once you decide you need a tin for 10 different situations, how do you keep them all straight?  It turns out that Altoids actually makes a variety of different flavors of mints and each flavor is color coded so you can easily color code your tin to your situation.  How great is that?  Also, if you just don’t think you can fit a standard Altoids tin into your pocket or purse, Altoids also makes Altoid Minis which come in miniature Altoids tins.  Now you have no excuse.   – T.N. in Tennessee

Economics and Investing:

Wayne G. sent this: Consumer Confidence Tumbles, Home Prices Stagnate

Another flagged by veteran SurvivalBlog contributior G.G: All American Bank Fails; 2011 Tally at 85

RBS found this one: Americans ‘Hooked on Government’ as Record Number Get Benefits (Businessweek)

Items from The Economatrix:

Poll:  Many Boomers Staying Put Amid Bad Economy

New-home Sales Tick Up as Builders Slash Prices

Savers Protect Your Deposits from Bankrupting Banks and Quantitative Inflation

Tomorrow’s EU Summit Meeting Cancelled; Gold and Silver Skyrocket on News

We Are Saved Again By More Paper Injection / Gold And Silver Rebound To Score Higher Levels

GDP Grew 2.5%, Boosted By Consumer Spending; No Double-dip

Five Ways the European Debt Crisis Could Affect the US

Odds ‘n Sods:

Amid the City, Learning to Survive in the Wild. (Thanks to Mary F. for the link.)

   o o o

Important Safety Tip, Kids: Just like with an AT-4 or LAW, Always Check Your Backblast Area

   o o o

Tam posted some great commentary on the dark side of biometrics.

   o o o

Why did a police officer fire gas canister into crowd trying to help injured Iraq veteran? This is the sort of JBT behavior that I warned about.

   o o o

This map provides yet another good data point in support of the American Redoubt plan: How close is the nearest nuclear power plant?

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” – John 6:39-40 (KJV)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 37 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) 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 B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $300 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo, and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) 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, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) 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.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, C.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and D.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 37 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The Ultimate Altoids Tin Survival Kit, by J.C.R.

As hunting season begins to kick into high gear here in central North Carolina and I begin to drag out my gear and go over it like a child on Christmas morning, I thought of something.  The thoughts of a basic survival kit came to mind.  As I replayed a situation many years old that could have gone badly, I made up my mind to look seriously into putting together a kit.  Several years ago while deer hunting in eastern North Carolina, me and my hunting buddy wandered off into a marshy swamp and spent all day trying to get out.  I know what you are thinking…shoulda, coulda, woulda.  My first mistake was assuming that since we were hunting his family’s land that he knew where he was going.  Wrong.  The first lesson learned there, never relegate the responsibility of direction finding to someone else…if they insist, then you have a backup.  The second lesson is that out in the true wilderness, it gets so dark that you can slap yourself in the face and can’t see it coming.  Well guess what?  Life began to get in the way and I forget all about my plans.  How many of us have done that?  Then I get a reminder.  On September 30, 2011 the BBC News had an article on their web site that was forwarded to me by a friend.  The article was titled “Great Moments in Human Survival and Endurance”.  As I read the basic sketches of eleven separate instances of miraculous survival including the latest, a 67-year-old man that ran off the road in California and survived six days until he was found, it occurred to me.  In nine out of eleven stories a basic survival kit would have greatly helped and in most cases decreased the time it took them to be rescued.   Based on my own experiences and time spent in the woods alone, I began to put together what I hope is a kit I never need but could supply that basics should the need arise.

Why do you need a survival kit?
Because you never know when you’ll need what it could contain.  When we set off that beautiful morning, the sun was shining and it was warm.  The weather conditions were perfect and we still got lost.  When that 67-year-old man climbed into his car, I can assure you a life-threatening accident never crossed his mind.  No one expects to get in trouble or be put in harm’s way…I would think we would be smarter than to charge into that unless someone else was in danger.  Not all emergencies occur in the wilderness.  So to borrow the motto of the Boy Scouts, let’s “Be Prepared”…for most anything.

What size kit do you need?
As you have probably read over and over as to what particular firearm makes the best personal defense weapon it seems that each article always ends with some statement along the lines of the best weapon is the one you will have with you when you actually need it.  I think it would also be safe to say the same thing about your survival kit.  It should be big enough to carry some basic items but not so big you leave it behind because it is too much trouble, or you don’t want it to be noticed.  I settled on a kit built around the Altoids Mint container.  This is a small tin that measures 3½” long, 2¼” wide and ¾” deep. Seems like a perfect size for a pocket, purse, glove box, coat pocket, or desk drawer.  Add to the fact that it is already camouflaged into something that would look normal if someone saw it in any of those places.  If you are putting together a kit for the car or truck, you might want to go bigger, but for what were are trying to accomplish, this will work nicely.  And being made of metal it will serve other purposes as well as we will see.

Should I just buy one or make my own?
If you are looking for something quick and convenient, then by all means purchase your kit already assembled.  We would much rather have you prepared than not, but what fun would it be to purchased a kit that someone else put together.  I few notes on pre-assembled kits.  There are several good kits out there but I’d like to mention a couple things.  I have noticed that often these kits are slightly larger than the usual Altoids candy tins.  Many of them are also put together with products that may be inferior to what you would put into your own kit.  If you build your own, then you’ll probably either know how to use each item or quickly learn.  If you purchase a kit, I bet you’ll probably never open it and instead just tuck it away feeling good that you have one. Some offer a waterproof seal built in and none of them are disguised as a candy tin.  Expect to pay around $35 or so plus shipping for the convenience. I prefer the build-your-own option.  A plus to building your own is often you’ll have to purchase some things in a quantity that will allow you to build multiple kits.  And I think we can do it for less than $35-40.

What are the contents of this kit?
Before we get into the exact contents of the kit, I’d like to assume that you at least have a pocket knife on your person.  If you have pockets or carry a purse, do yourself a favor and carry a pocket knife…unless it is illegal to do so.  In designing this kit I would also like to add that I have watched countless videos on You-Tube as well as read several articles on numerous web sites.  This, along with years of hunting and spending a little nature time in that swamp, I’ve settled on this as my current kit.  Instead of just going down a list of things to include in this kit, let’s instead break up the items into specific categories.

  • Fire and Light
  • Water and Food
  • Signaling and Navigation
  • Medical
  • Miscellaneous and Multipurpose

No matter which survival kit you choose, make sure that it can cover the basics in each of these areas and you’ll be better prepared than most.

  • Fire and Light
    • Waterproof Storm Matches – I wrapped up three of these with two strikers in a plastic baggie.  Purchased a couple of boxes of 25 each for $5.50 from REI.  Three matches would cost about $.66.
    • Photon II Micro-Light– These are sold everywhere as a light for your keychain.  I removed the ring for added space but if you have to go to the kit as a resource, be sure to put this on the same lanyard as the whistle.  You want to make sure you don’t lose it.  Also make sure that you purchase one that has the button that will lock the light in the “on” position.  It’s really hard to light a fire in the dark while trying to hold down the button on the light in your teeth or with the extra hand you don’t have.  These lights practically lasts forever.  This cost $8.39 from REI but I believe I could have gotten it cheaper at the local home improvement stores.
    • Fresnel magnifier – This works great when the sun is shining bright and it will also double as a magnifying glass for removing splinters and reading fine print.  What fine print?  We’ll get to that.  It was part of a packet of magnifying glasses from the local drugstore.  Purchased separately it would run about $4.
    • Fire-steel – You’d be surprised at the sparks something so small can create.  Notice I didn’t say fire-steel with striker.  We have other things in the kit for that.  And you also should have your pocket knife.  Now you have three ways to make fire without using string and rubbing blisters.  Granted, you should be familiar with that method as well…as a last ditch effort.  I purchased this from www.firesteel.com for about $2.  You can spend more and you can spend less.
    • Tinder-Quik fire tabs– Any brand will actually work as long it is of the soft fiber type.  We’ll place these in different areas of the tin to make sure things don’t rattle.  I little fire tinder never hurt anyone and will be a huge help if trying to start a fire in wet weather.  I have wrapped them in these little plastic baggies that I purchased at the hobby store.  A couple of bucks will give you far more than you need for this kit.  Purchased this from Dick’s Sporting Goods.  The pack had 12 pieces in it for $5.95 making it about $.50 each or $1.00 for our kit.
  • Water and Food
    • Water Purification Tablets – Remember that there are four quarts in a gallon and that the Red Cross recommends a gallon per day per person.  Twelve tablets here will provide a 3-day supply.  This should be the minimum, pack twelve and then if space allows add more.  If you choose a brand that stores them in a glass bottle, you’ll need to wrap what you need in a plastic baggie.  Then I would wrap it in a second baggie.  Water ties with fire in a survival situation.  Sometimes it is more valuable than fire and sometimes less, but always needed, so let’s take care of those tablets.  Shop around; these can be purchased for about $6 for 20 tablets at most outdoor sporting good stores costing us $3.60.
    • Quart Zip-Loc© Bag – I chose a major brand name as the quality is a little better than discount brands.  I chose a Zip-Loc© type so that you might be able to store water in a sealed bag.  If possible, try to get the freezer type bag as the plastic slightly thicker.  I “borrowed” one from the kitchen cabinets.  Several web sites have suggested using a non-lubricated condom.  Let’s think about this for a couple of seconds.  First the thought of drinking from a condom doesn’t appeal to me and secondly, it will not be too sturdy if you have to travel back to your camp site.  You could in fact use your sock as an outer case for it but what if it is really cold and you need your sock…I’ll stick with the baggie.
    • Piece of drinking straw with flexible section – I have seen this included in another kit from You-Tube and questioned it until I saw an episode of Dual Survivor where Cody talked about using a straw to drink water from improvised containers or if really desperate, a puddle.  I have cut the top piece to fit the width of the tin and the part below the flex joint to fit the length of the tin.  I noticed that a local fast food restaurant was putting these in their kid’s meals…talked the kids out of a couple of them.
    • Packets of Salt and Pepper – The salt and pepper are to make anything you catch taste different.  If space permits, throw in a packet of rehydration solution that is prepackaged.  These can be purchased at many outdoor/sports stores for next to nothing.  Better to be safe than sorry with this one.  The packets came from same restaurants as the straws.
    • Bouillon Cubes – I have wrapped one of these into those little plastic baggies mentioned earlier that I purchased from the hobby store. This is better than nothing at soothing hunger pains until you can find or catch something else.  If nothing else, it will buy you some time.  Taken from the cabinet that the spices are in.
    • Braided Fishing Line – I have chosen the braided line over all others as it doesn’t lose its strength at fast as other types of fishing line.  Have you every picked up a fishing reel that has been setting for a while and been able to break the line with your hand?  Braided just holds up better.  It is harder to cut as well and can double as heavy duty sewing thread as well.  30 lb. test will be all you need and I can get 30 feet or so wrapped on a sewing machine bobbin that picked up at Wal-Mart.   Pull off what I needed from one of the reels I have.  There was plenty, sure hope I don’t need it later.
    • Fishing tackle – Small hooks and split-shot weights are what you need here.  You can catch larger fish with lighter tackle but will struggle to catch small fish with big hooks, etc.  I raided my own tackle box for these items.
    • 24 gauge wire – I have included 10 feet in this kit.  It can be used for all kinds of tasks, not just making snares.  I purchased mine from a home improvement center and it cost about $3 for 50 yards or just 20 cents for our kit.  I wrapped this on the same bobbin as the fishing line on the outside.  I’ll take a stick and transfer the wire to this if I need the fishing line first.
  • Signaling and Navigation
    • Signal Mirror – I went out and purchased a nice one from a camping supply store only to discover that it was much too thick and thus took up too much room.  That was okay, it can go in my Bug-Out Bag.  So I decided to make my own.  Look around for an old gift card or save the card from the credit card offer you received in the mail.  Back to the hobby store and buy some mirrored Mylar film with adhesive on the back.  Just make sure when you wrap the card not to leave any wrinkles.  Next drill a ½” hole in the center and for $3.49 you have a very thin signal mirror and a ton of left over Mylar.  It is not the best but thin and it will work with some practice.
    • Thin Whistle – For this piece of equipment, I looked at several whistles, finally settling on the ACR 3 Res-Q Whistle.  It is very loud and very thin.  Leave the lanyard attached.  As soon as you see yourself relying on this kit, hang the whistle around your neck.  You want it to be handy if someone has a chance of hearing you.  The cost was $4.49
    • Button Compass – A button compass is not extremely accurate but we are not land surveyors.  We are looking to establish basic directions.  You can pick up a 20mm button compass that is not liquid filled for $0.99 each at Firesteel.com.
  • Medical Supplies
    •  Band-Aids – Two will do nicely.  The kids will never miss them.  It will be two less that they can use on their ‘boo-boos”
    • Medical Tape – Pack the waterproof kind.  Wrap it around the pencil.  The medicine cabinet gave up a couple of feet for the kit.  I used two 12” pieces wrapped in separate sections to keep the pencil from getting to fat.
    • 2 Pre-1982 US Pennies – These work great for soothing stings and bits.  Don’t ask me how but with four kids, I can attest that this works.  Just tape one over the bite or sting and leave it…
    • Anti-diarrheal tablets – Nothing makes surviving harder that a bad case of diarrhea.  Pack enough for a couple of cycles.  I placed all tablets in the same baggie and then label the baggie as to what color pill is what.  Remember, this is your personal survival kit so you will not have to worry about someone else trusting you when it is time to pass out medicine.  The medicine cabinet donated these tablets as well.
    • Ibuprofen Tablets – Drop six or eight of these into your baggie.  It may mean the difference in being able to think straight or enduring a headache or body pain.  Always start in the medicine cabinet…lots of goodies there.
  • Miscellaneous and Multipurpose
    • Altoids Tin – Not only will this serve as the container for all of this stuff, but remove the lid and now you have a small container to boil water in (the bottom) and a small pan to heat up whatever food you can scrounge up.  Break up some of the bouillon cubes in hot water and you’d be surprised how much better you feel.  If you have to use it like this, take the small nail or use the tip of your pocket knife and put some small holes in the sides of both the top and bottom and take some of the snare wire and make handles.  This will make it much easier to get it in and out of the fire.  I picked up the first one in the check-out line at the grocery store for $1.99.  The bonus was the mints.
    • Laminated family picture with a SURVIVAL acronym on the back with a couple verses of scripture. – I have moved this into the second slot of items mentioned here for a very specific reason.  The will to survive will play much more of a factor than anything else in this kit.  A family picture to generate happy thoughts will inspire you to reach deep down within yourself to find that little extra effort you’ll need. Be sure to print your name, address, and phones numbers that family members could be reached should you be found but disoriented.  Also on the back of this picture I have included the survival acronym so that when you need to clear your head you can read and re-read over them.  It will help you to focus your thoughts.  I have also included a couple of my favorite Bible verses.  This will help me to keep my attitude and heart in check.  With these three in hand, I should be able to muster the mental, spiritual, and emotional horsepower needed to get me through almost any ordeal.  The wife had some laminating paper left over from one of the kid’s school projects.  The survival acronym is as follows:
      • S – “Size up the situation”
      • U – “Undue haste makes waste”
      • R – “Remember where you are”
      • V – “Vanquish fear and panic”
      • I – “Improvise”
      • V – “Value Living”
      • A – “Act like the natives”
      • L – “Learn basic skills”
    • Magnetized sewing needles with thread – A magnetized needle floating in water will let you know which way is north.  This provides a backup to the button compass described earlier.  I also made sure that the eye of the needle will also work with the braided fishing line for some serious repairs.  As I watch some of the survival show on television, I wonder what would happen if the button that holds their pants together were to come off.  It would be bad trying to stay alive while also holding your pants up.  All of the sewing stuff came from my wife’s sewing basket.  I sure hope she doesn’t notice everything she is missing.
    • Buttons (1 large and 1 small) – This would complete the emergency sewing kit.
    • Safety Pins – I have included two…okay this actually completes the emergency sewing kit.
    • Duct tape – You’ll find a thousand uses for this, from a makeshift band-aid to repairing a hole in the Zip-Loc© baggie.  Wrap this around the pencil.  I purchased a roll of the Gorilla brand duct tape a couple months back for use around the house, so I already had this as well.  I split it down the middle of the tape and used two 12” pieces wrapped around the pencil. 
    • String – We don’t have a lot but enough to assist with shelter building, signal construction, traps or snares, etc.  Took a couple of feet out of one of the junk drawers in the kitchen.
    • Paper clips – This little piece of metal seems to show up in all kinds of list for 10 essentials with regards to equipment and repair.  They take up no space and so I have included two.  I once saw a You-tube video of a guy picking a lock with paper-clips.  Not advocating this, but the possibilities are almost limitless. “Borrowed” these from the office.  Next time you are at the bank, ask the teller if they have some…no kidding, they’ll give you a hand full of them.
    • 2 Razor blades – I have included two of these.  Purchase the type that is the replacement blades for utility knives.  This will be a back up for our pocket knife.  I put a little piece of duct tape on the edges so as to not get cut going through the contents of the kit.  In the most extreme case they could be what you’d use in an emergency first-aid situation.  I don’t even like to think about that.  I scrounged up a couple of new ones from the tool box.
    • Aluminum Foil – A 2 foot square will provide a way to cook with or heat water, or signal with, but not all of the above.  Use sparingly as once you start to work with it, it becomes more fragile.  If you can, include the heavy duty type. Back to the kitchen when the wife isn’t looking.
    • Flexible Wire Saw – You never know when you’ll need to cut something that is bigger than what a pocketknife or a couple of razor blades can handle.  This could also double as a secondary snare.  I purchased my first one from Wal-Mart for about $3. 
    • 2 Small Nails – I have dropped in a couple of medium-sized finishing nails.  I decided that a wire handle would be great if I have to use the container as a cooking utensil and a nail would be a great way to put the hole in the tin.  The nails could also be used as a “trigger” for some traps.  They may come in handy for something else too.
    • Cash – I have folded up $30 for my kit.  I figure if I actually wonder out of a situation and back into civilization…a little cash might make getting fed or home a little easier.  Could also double as fire tinder in extremis.  What is it worth or what did it cost?  That is a different discussion.
    • Pencil and Paper – I know you are thinking I’d burn this paper before burning the cash.  Hold that thought.  If after you have done all that is within your power, knowledge, skills and luck and the inevitable seems certain, this piece of paper and pencil might bring closure and peace to your loved ones.  No one likes to think about this but in your final minutes, write your family a quick note.  It will bring you a small level of peace but they will cling to that note forever.  It could be your very last gift to them.  The paper was a piece of 3”x5” card and the pencil came from the golf bag.  Don’t play golf?  Just ask around, I’ll bet you know someone that plays the game.  Those short pencils are perfect and already the right size.

Alternatives and Upgrades for the kit?
As with anything in life there are always upgrade or alternatives.  If I look at each category and picked a couple of items to upgrade it might look something like this.  In the water and food category, I might simply add a couple of small fishing flies.  It would save time looking for bait.  For the signaling and navigation category, I’d add a liquid-filled compass in place of the one I have included.  It would add about $1.25 to the cost.  In the medical category, I would buy the best in the band-aids and make them waterproof.  You might add a single 3/0 or 4/0 suture packet that will run you about $6 each from Amazon.  For the Miscellaneous category, I would upgrade the cable saw from the $3 one from Wal-Mart to an $8 version that is rated for more serious use.  Some have included a Jig-Saw blade in place of the cable saw.  It would certainly pack easier and give you more room but you would lose a secondly source of snare wire.   Another item to consider if you are in the urban environment more than the great outdoors is a P-38 can opener.  I bought several for 30 cents each from the local surplus store.  I might also up the cash from $30 to $40.

Where did you get the contents of the kit?
The first thing I did was to purchase the Altoids Mints.  This gave me some time to assemble the contents as we consumed the mints.  I wasn’t about to waste the mints for the container.  I made a quick list of these items.  The next thing I did was to grab a gallon Zip-Loc© bag and as I found or “borrowed” those items from around the house and bought them, I just dumped them into the bag and marked them off the list until I had everything I needed.  Every time I wandered into a store, I would make a pass around the hardware and/or sporting goods department, picking up items here and there.  Look around the house and office real good for as many of these items as you can find before spending any hard-earned money. You can shop around the internet for these items as well but be careful.  You could actually purchase almost every single item on the list from Amazon but the shipping would end up costing you more than the products.  For instance, I purchased a dozen of the compasses from www.firesteel.com when I bought the pieces of fire-steel.  Then I gave the extra compasses to the boys in my son’s Cub Scout den.  I didn’t feel so bad about the shipping then.  For the harder to find items, look for a web site that sells several of the products and compare that purchase as a whole.  Someone might have a better price on water purification tablets, but with everything else factored in, not be such a good deal.  Check out www.campmor.com.  They will have a lot of these things as well as other preparedness items. 

How do you get all of the stuff in such a small package?
This was the toughest part of all.  I have to cut some corners to get it all in there.  For instance in my original plans, I had six waterproof matches and a packet of antibiotic ointment, but it just wouldn’t fit.  I also tried to find a way to include an eye glass repair kit and that didn’t happen either.  With a bigger tin, these are options.

The first thing to place in the tin was the two razor blades, next in went the Fresnel magnifier.  Next I added the home-made signal mirror to keep it from getting scratched.  Then I added the folded up square of aluminum foil.  I tried to fold it to the same size as the tin and I’m not sure I was able to get the entire two foot included.  Next I put the piece of 3”x5” card that was cut to fit the tin.  This will protect the foil.    Now fold up the Zip-Loc bag in place it in there.  I placed the straw into one of the corner.  Inside the straw on the short end I stuffed the magnetized needle and the two nails.  On the longer section of straw, I stuffed the fire-steel.  On the other side I laid the pencil with the tape on it.  In one corner I put the button compass and in another I placed the sewing machine bobbin that has 30 feet of fishing line with a little more than 10 feet of 24-guage wire on it.  In the last corner I placed the bouillon cube that is wrapped in plastic.  That fills up all four corners.  On top of the pencil, I placed the waterproof matches that have been wrapped in plastic.  In the middle of the tin, I placed the flexible wire saw.  In the middle of that, I placed the salt and pepper packets and then the water purification tablets other medicine.  One the other side of the tin, over the straw, I placed the flat ACR whistle.  That Photon II Micro-Light was a bear to get in there…it ended up hogging the space on one of the ends.  I was able to fold up the fishing tackle for the other end of the tin.  So what is left?  We have a couple of Tinder-Quik fire tabs, we’ll use these for packing to keep the contents quiet.  We also have the Band-aids, cash and picture.  We’ll tuck these into the lid.  We have two pennies, the buttons, safety pins, paper clips, and a piece of string.  I have tried a dozen different combinations for this before I was able to get them tucked here and crammed there.  The lid will shut but it is a very tight fit.  I am sure that it will pop open at some time or die trying, so I taped all four sides with clear tape to hold it shut.  Where I work, we have a machine that will shrink-wrap goods.  I was thinking I might get it shrink wrapped to help make it waterproof.  You could also just put it into another Zip-Loc bag.  I admit that this was the hardest step.

Where do you carry it?
While this may seem like a silly question it may not be.  If you are hunting, then by all means carry it in your coat pocket.  It is less likely to make noise there.  If you are hiking with cargo pants, put it in one of your cargo pockets or front pocket, not in your backpack.  You make become separated from your pack.  I wouldn’t recommend carrying it in your back pocket.  If you sit down wrong or fall, it will not only bend up the case but will leave a nice bruise as a reminder.  It is best if you can keep it with you at all times but that is merely fantasy land thinking.  If in the car, keep it where you can reach it from the driver seat while buckled up.  You never know if you’ll be pinned in and need those items.  If at your desk, keep it where you can quickly grab it if you have to vacate the premises’ or an earthquake leaves you stuck.  Keep it as close as you can without cramping your lifestyle.   I plan on making several kits to leave in the automobiles, the desk, the hunting coat, the Bug-Out Bag, etc.  Just don’t forget where you put them.  

How often do you update your kit?
You need to check the contents of your kit once a year.  You need to replace all of the first aid items yearly.  I work the band-aids back into the current box and throw away the old medicine, replacing it with new tablets.  Check your water purification tablets as well.  Their shelf-life is much longer than the medicine but it is not indefinite.  I replace the Zip-Loc bag as well.  You want to make sure you have a fresh one in there.  The idea is to go back through the entire kit once a year.  This is good for two reasons.  The first is to replace anything that is not outdated or unusable.  For instance if you keep the kit in your car, chances are the tape will have “melted” the sticky stuff out.  The second reason for going completely through the kit is to remind you of what you have placed in it.  It is not a time capsule, it is a survival kit.  The time to discover that the needle has lost its magnetic properties is not when you need to see which way is North.  You get the picture.  I have placed a label on the bottom of my kit that has the month and year that I last updated it.  I will cross out the previous date and write in the new one.

So what is the final cost of this kit?
The final cost of the kit turned out to be a little more that I would have originally guessed.  Without the upgrades, it came in at around $36 dollars.  While it is true that I ended up with enough stuff to practically finish out a couple of other kits, it was more than I expected.  I still had fun putting it together and involved my son in the process as well.  I learned a lot that I wouldn’t have if I had just whipped out the credit card and purchased a pre-made kit, and I know exactly what is in the kit.

In Conclusion
Whether you build or buy your kit, look back over this article and size up the pre-made kit.  I would also recommend that if you buy a kit; fill it in with some of these items.  There isn’t a survival kit in the world the will be delivered to your door with a laminated picture of your family with encouraging words written on the back.  This kit does at least have seven out of the “10 essentials” represented.  This kit combined with the Everyday Carry Items that I wrote about and was posted on Survivalblog.com on September 20, 2011, you’ll have a great start if the trip goes bad.  The overall message here is to have some type of kit that will give you an added advantage if you are ever unfortunate enough to have to need a survival kit. I hope we have given you something to think about no matter what size kit you put together.

Letter Re: Survival Aspects of Cartridge Reloading

Jim:
In a recent article, Jerry M. mentioned:

“One more thing worth mentioning is the small rifle and small pistol primers are the same size cups, same as the large rifle and large pistol primers are the same size. The cups on the pistol primers are a little thinner than the rifle, for obvious reasons, most rifle firing pins hit a lot harder than pistols do. I have used rifle primers in pistol rounds, and they seem to work fine. You might run into problems on S&W revolvers, using rifle primers, if you have the spring tension screw backed off to get a lighter trigger pull, but this could also happen with pistol primers, if backed off too far. Men sometime do this for wives who have trouble shooting double action, don’t! Your taking a chance on a misfire when you do this. And never use a pistol primer in a rifle round, the cup is too thin and if the firing pin penetrates the primer, you will get gas back in your face.”

To add emphasis and a clarification to Jerry’s warning: Rifle and pistol primers may have the same diameters, but they don’t have the same height. Using a large rifle primer in a pistol case will cause the primer to protrude above the case head, since large rifle primers are deeper (taller) than large pistol primers.  Worst case, a semi-auto pistol (like a Model 1911) could be “slam-fired” or even double (go into uncontrolled full auto fire).
 
Please use the correct primer for the cartridge you are reloading! – J.B. in Tennessee

Economics and Investing:

G.G. sent a piece by Andy Lees: Quantitative Easing!!!

Dollar Decline in Full Swing in Risk-On Environment

Data suggests inflation on the way. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.)

Also from G.G.: Inflation Concerns Go Beyond Rise in Consumer Price Index

File under “Fragile Global Supply Chain”: Thai Floods Reach Toyota Plants in Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and Ontario

Items from The Economatrix:

Weiss Final Warning to All Investors: Get All or Most of Your Money Out of Danger Immediately…

Silver Waits To Begin Break-out

Gold Market Update

Inflation Up Globally

Claims For Unemployment Aid Dip But Remain High

Stocks Turn Mixed After Thursday’s Big Rally

Incomes Stall as Interest on Savings Dwindles

Oil Prices Lower A Day After Big Gains

Late Night Deal In Brussels:  Euro Zone Frees Greece Of Half Its Debts

With The EU Plan Set:  Let The Doubting Now Begin

EU’s Debt Deal Doesn’t End The Crisis

Odds ‘n Sods:

C.Z. sent this YouTube clip: Thailand supermarket empty during floods

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Several readers sent me this: ‘Rogue Web sites’ Bill Creates Chinese-Style Ban List. JWR’s Comment: Even though piracy of my books by the the umpteen “torrent” web sites cost me thousands of dollars a year in lost book sale royalties, I oppose this legislation. It provides a mechanism that could easily be abused by a would-be tyrant. It is reminiscent of the Great Firewall of China “Golden Shield” or J?ndùn G?ngchéng.) What is being proposed is a domain name re-direct feature rather than true blocking. They want ISPs and web search engines to re-direct blacklisted domain names to to the IP address of an FBI warning page. Presumably, a site’s dotted quad IP address would still work. This is one more reason why you need to write down or bookmark the IP addresses of your favorite blogs and web sites.

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Something vaguely reminiscent of the opening scene in the movie Cool Hand Luke, courtesy of F.G.: Don’t argue with a man with power tools.

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Over at Mac Slavo’s blog: Clinging to Their Guns: Firearm Ownership Soars to Multi-Decade Highs. (But note that this great piece begins with a quote incorrectly attributed to Yamamoto. That quote sounds great and encapsulates a truth, but its attribution has been refuted.)

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A useful instructional video: Rendering Deer Tallow

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he [is] God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.

Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:

And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.” – Deuteronomy 7:9-13 (KJV)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 37 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) 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 B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $300 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo, and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) 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, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) 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.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, C.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and D.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 37 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.