Product Review: Mainstay Emergency Rations and Water by Michael Z. Williamson

It’s a good idea to have an emergency food supply in one’s bug out bag, but it needs to be something that doesn’t decay, leak or spoil, and has a good shelf life in possibly extreme conditions. 

Enter the Mainstay rations.  They’re made by Survivor Industries and packed in what feels like a heavy mylar-lined foil, rated for five years, and can withstands temperatures of -40° F to 300°F (-40°C to 149°C).  They meet USCG and DoD standards for packaging.  They’re in convenient 400 calorie bars, each constituting a meal, which make management easy, and eliminate trying to break them into pieces, so as to minimize loss in serving. A one pound pack is more than enough for a day under normal conditions.  Obviously, extreme circumstances may require more.

Emergency rations are unusual if you’re not familiar with them.  These are small and dense, basically a giant, semi-sweet sugar cookie with lemon flavor and vitamins/minerals.  They’re heavy enough not to crumble too much, but light enough to eat, sweet enough to be enjoyable, not so sweet as to be candy.  You won’t feel full after eating one, but you will have enough calories and nutrition to get where you’re going.  As their chart shows, you’ll have more than the US RDA of most nutrients.  I’d recommend supplementing with other food, especially edible plants, but for the short term forced march, these are the thing to have. (This company has the lowest retail price I’ve found)

Mainstay also offers packaged water. These are similarly packed, in small, 125 ml (just over 4 oz) servings.  The packs are not overfilled, and strong enough to take a lot of tossing around.  In my test, they took a crush weight of 200 pounds without bursting (I stood on one), which is tremendously more than a typical bottle will take.  If one pack should happen to get punctured, loss is minimized.  Shelf life is five years, and the package is proof against oxygen transfer and spoilage. 

The company is honest, with no blather about mineral springs.  The municipal water source is listed, as is packaging date and lot number.  The price is competitive with brand name water, or bottles from a machine or vendor at remote events, making them even more attractive.

The only down side is they are a little tricky to open.  Once they tear (you’ll need a knife, or teeth if all else fails), the best strategy I found is to seal your lips around the package and squeeze gently. After the first mouthful, it’s more controllable for pouring. 

A dozen of the water packets and one of the large food bar packs will give you a couple of days without worrying about energy levels or dehydration, assuming a temperate climate and proper clothing.  I recommend both products. – Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog Editor at Large)

Letter Re: Prepping With Limited Funds

JWR:

I strongly suggest checking out yard sales.  Every Thursday we get our free local community paper that lists all of the upcoming weekend yard sales.  The night before, I go to yahoo maps and map out our route which greatly saves time and wasted miles driving around.

Then every Saturday morning my family and I head out – sometimes a little later than what we hope, but most of the time we are out the door by 8 a.m.   Note: this is also a great way to spend some family time together. We’ve even found great deals at 2 p.m. so it’s not necessary to be the first there and often later in the day, prices become reduced or items become free (I picked up a box of medical supplies the week before last for free).

Kids – well let me just say they make out like a bandit.  My grandson this weekend got a free basket ball, free baseball glove, and a big box of legos that has kept him busy for hours all for $5.  It’s like Christmas every Saturday for him and at the tenth of the cost for us.

I also scored well this weekend with two, pristine sleeping bags.  One was a Eddie Bauer and the other an L.L. Bean mummy sleeping bag, and each one of these mint condition bags cost me $5 each. 

My other prepping find this weekend was nine full tubes of tooth paste and three new-in-the-package toothbrushes for $5.

You never know what you will find and most seem like they just want to get rid of some of the abundant amount of stuff that we Americans are so blessed to have.  We take it for granted how rich and blessed we are.  Good luck and God bless.

Economics and Investing:

B.B. pointed me to this, over at Zero Hedge: Retirement Fund Plunder Update: $206 Billion So Far, $62 Billion Left

30 Reasons To Get Out Of Real Estate and Into REAL Assets. (Thanks to Chris D. for the link.)

Reader Jay H. kindly sent this link: Gold is best debt-crises defense — just not yet

Naughty, Tim! He didn’t stick to the “Continuing Recovery” party line: Geithner says hard times to continue for many

Sue C. forwarded this: Dollar likely lower without debt limit progress

John R. sent us several great links:

Several Inconvenient Truths About the Debt Ceiling and “Deficit Reduction”

Feds Force State & Local Government Insolvency

Will the United States Default?

If Central Banks Believe in Paper Money Why are They Loading Up On Gold?

The Fed is Approaching The End Game… Are You Ready?

Bob Chapman: Watching a Flatlining Economy

The Dollar Collapse Will be the Single Largest Event in Human History. (The Synopsis Video is also quite good. I particularly liked Mac’s choice of the final still photo. )

Items from The Economatrix:

Flat Jobs Data Signal Weakest Recovery in Decades

Consumers Borrowed More for Eighth Month in May

Shock US Job Figures Threaten Recovery Hopes

Greek Tragedy Goes Global

UK:  Chain Retailers Closing 20 Stores a Day

Odds ‘n Sods:

A reminder that production will end on August 1st for the SurvivalBlog 5-Year Archive CD-ROM, so order soon. The good news is that it has been reduced to just $14.95.

   o o o

Reader Rod M. mentioned a web site devoted to helping doctors in rural areas who need to treat patients with wound care.  They are making their PDF books available free of charge: Basic Wound Care and Practical Plastic Surgery.

   o o o

G.S. in the State of Jefferson suggested the perfect vehicle for combating MZBs: The South African Marauder Mine Protective Vehicle. Ten tons for fun! (Note: The video gets increasingly hilarious, so be sure to watch all of it.)

   o o o

Sergio mentioned this: Three Unexpected Marketing Lessons From Amish Farmers

   o o o

Reader “Bull Durham” spotted this: Fayetteville fighting wild dog problem.

The New Century: An Era of Upright Spikes

We are entering an era of upright spikes. Clearly, the debt-driven global economy is spinning out of control. The aggregate value of the derivatives market is exploding and meanwhile food prices are spiking. Both of these are threatening huge economic dislocation and subsequent social turmoil that–just as I predicted five years ago–will topple governments. I stand by that prediction. (And, for the record, I’m not just talking about failed votes of confidence. I’m talking about revolutions.)

Note: Because SurvivalBlog’s diverse readership expects access on mobile devices, I intentionally minimize the use of graphics in my blog. But this particular topic demands some graphics, so I’ve linked to charts on a variety of web sites. (My thanks to all of them. I recommend that you truncate the URLs on the graph links to take a look at the other content those sites. A lot of them are fascinating.)

Back in 2007, I addressed the Upright Spike in Technology Dependence. But there are some other monumental shifts in progress, each with their own upright spikes. Consider these recent graphs:

Meanwhile, there are many more gradual changes are taking place, For example, see:

Conclusion

If the National Debt is not brought under control, we will someday see mass currency inflation–perhaps to Zimbabwean proportions. Now that would be the upright spike that we all dread. If and when there is mass inflation, your only safe havens will be precious metals and practical, barterable tangibles. (There will be no “safe haven” paper currencies.) My advice is to get out of Dollars and into tangibles, soon!

Pat’s Product Review: CRKT Hissatsu CQB Knives

Columbia River Knife & Tool (CRKT) is always on the lookout for new knife designs. Rod Bremer, the owner often asks me to keep an eye out for a hot knife design, and I’ve directed him towards a few over the years. Several of these were from custom knife maker, Brian Tighe. I wish I could take credit for directing Bremer towards James Williams, and his Hissatsu fighting knife, but I can’t.

James Williams is a former army officer, and a martial arts practitioner and instructor, with over 45-years experience. Williams knows cutlery as President of Bugei Trading Company, producer of fine Samurai swords. Williams is also an instructor of law enforcement and military personnel. The Hissatsu was designed for law enforcement and military personnel as a back-up weapon to the handgun. I must emphasize that it was designed as a back-up to your main weapon. Remember, don’t take a knife to a gun fight, if you can avoid it.

I really like the Hissatsu, I own several versions of the fixed blade design, as well as their folding version. The Hissatsu can be had with a black blade, shiny silver blade, or one with desert tan blade and handle (as well as a matching sheath). I have a background in the martial arts – more than 35-years actively involved in teaching and as a student. I’m proud to lay claim to Black Belt rank in several different styles of martial arts, and I used to operate several martial arts schools. So, I appreciate a knife designed by someone like Williams, who comes at us with a martial arts background, and not designed by an armchair commando, or a mall ninja.

The fixed blade Hissatsu has a 7.125″ long blade made out of 440A stainless steel. The blade steel can handle a lot of abuse and neglect, too. However, keep in mind that stainless steel can still rust, however, it will stain less than carbon steels! I’ve also found that 440A stainless is easier to re-sharpen compared to 440C stainless steel blades are. The overall length of the Hissatsu is 12.25″ and blade thickness is 0.2″ with a Rockwell hardness of 55-to-57. The blade grind is dual, and if you go to the CRKT.com web site, you’ll see what I’m talking about instead of my trying to put it into words. Rest assured though, that this type of grind is more deadly when using a slashing motion than most knives are.

The handle material on the Hissatsu is double injection Zytel/Kraton, and it is fused to the knife, no chance of it working loose, and I’ve tried my best to separate the handle from the blade in testing – all to no avail. There is also a Zytel sheath for carrying the knife, and you can attach it to web gear or MOLLE gear, or to the belt on your trousers.

CRKT states on their web site, on the Hissatsu link, that the knife is “…intended for us only by trained law enforcement and military tactical team professionals.” Okay, sounds good, but I personally believe there’s a bit of hype there. It’s okay, all knife and gun companies hype their products, and when claims are made that a product is designed for military and law enforcement use only – civilians want it. And, there are no restrictions from CRKT as to who can purchase the Hissatsu.

Make no mistake though, the Hissatsu is not designed as a wilderness survival knife. Nope! This knife is designed for one thing and one thing only – plain and simple, it’s a knife to be used against another human being in close quarters battle (CQB)! Now, I’m not hyping the knife, but I’ve been around knives all my life, and I design knives, and I know what this knife was designed for. The dual-grind on the blade is outstanding as a slashing knife. The Tanto-style blade is also an excellent stabber, and I can easily see the point of this blade penetrating regular body armor, too. I did some penetration tests using the Hissatsu against a large pot roast – it easily penetrated up to the handle of the knife without much effort – just imagine what it would do to a human body?

The fixed blade Hissatsu is one deadly knife, make no mistake about it. I don’t see ordinary law enforcement personnel using this knife, however, specialized SWAT teams and the like might carry this as a back-up blade. As for military personnel, I think the same goes – your regular solider probably wouldn’t have much use for the Hissatsu on a daily basis. However, Infantryman and Special Operations personnel would find this knife very appealing if they got into a hand-to-hand combat situation. I know I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of this knife – no way, no how!

If you want to train with this knife, CRKT also offers a rubber training version, and I highly recommend this, instead of using the real thing. You’ll save yourself some grief down the road.

For any of the three different Hissatsu fixed blades, the full retail price is only $109.99 – and that is a great deal, on a knife like this. I would imagine, that if James Williams offered a custom, hand made version, it would easily cost $350+ for one. I’m totally impressed with this blade, and wouldn’t hesitate carrying one into combat on any battle field on earth.

There is also a folding Hissatsu knife from CRKT as well. Of course, it’s not quite as large as the fixed blade version, however, with a blade that is 3.75″ long, it’ll sure get most self-defense jobs done in short order. The folding Hissatsu can be had with an assisted-opening blade, or a manually opening blade. The steel is AUS8, which is one of my favorite blade steels, too. Price on either the assisted or manually opening blade is the same: $99 each. [JWR Adds: Consult your State and local laws before ordering an “assisted opening” or other automatic knife. Unlike here in TUWS, some localities in the slave states deem these useful tools a felony to possess!]

If you’re in the market for a no-nonsense fighting knife, take a close look at the fixed blade or folding Hissatsu…just keep in mind, these knives are not designed for opening packages, or ammo crates or other chores around the base camp. These knives were designed with one thing and one thing only – saving your butt when the chips are down. They are a worthwhile addition to your survival battery. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: Strong and Sticky Stuff for Sticky Situations

Sir:

Do you or any of your readers have any experience with J-B Weld? Is it recommended for use as a survival item — i.e., pros and cons versus traditional methods of joining [materials]?

Thank you! Best, – J.C.

JWR Replies: Yes, it works quite well, and I do recommend it.  But don’t let the “liquid steel” marketing hype fool you.  It is just a two-part epoxy.

To be properly equipped for emergency repairs on vehicles, tractors, and assorted gear at your retreat, I recommend watching for sale prices and stocking up on a variety of sticky and strong stuff. I recommend keeping not just J-B Weld epoxy on hand, but also some Rec Repair patch material, a couple of cans of expanding insulating foam, a roll of self-fusing silicone tape, some Krazy Glue, a can of Slime tire sealant, a tube of blue Permatex Form-a-Gasket, a tube of clear RTV silicone, a tube of Shoe Goo (useful for much more than shoe repairs!), several rolls of galvanized steel wire (for versatility, get several different gauges from 8 gauge to 22 gauge), and of course some paracord and duct tape. (Both in olive drab, naturlich). Some people also suggest carrying Bar’s Stop Leak (or similar) for emergency radiator repairs. But my old friend Ken X., (a senior mechanic) advises against using them. He tells me that these miracle radiator goops can do as much damage as they do good, since they can constrict the flow of water through a radiator. Use it only as a last resort!

Letter Re: Antenna Launching Alternatives

Good day,
I was just reading about Antenna Launchers in SurvivalBlog and it occurred to me than rather than constructing a complex pneumatic launcher, you could alternately use either an arborist throw weight for shorter distances or or a throw weight with an elastic launcher for heights well over 100 feet. Throw weights are inexpensive and designed to tow a line over tree branches.

Letter Re: Chiappa Rhino Revolvers

James,

You regularly publish Pat’s Product Reviews and very rarely do I find any reason to complain. But today’s column did little more than make me roll my eyes. Revolvers today have two advantages over autoloaders: Higher calibers (like the .460 and .500) and utter reliability. There are significantly fewer moving parts in a revolver than an autoloader and therefore fewer things that can break. Unfortunately, the Rhino fits neither of those two. The .357 Magnum is no longer that impressive and the Rhino has by far the most moving parts of any revolver out there. I too was originally very excited about the Rhino because it has less felt recoil on a .357 load than most other revolvers have on .38 Special +P. But I am now on my third repair, after firing less than 3,000 rounds through the gun.

If you want to buy something different, then go for it. If you, however, are looking for a reliable self-defense gun, go for a traditional, proven design. – Peter

Letter Re: Berkey Light Water Filters

Dear SurvivalBlog Readers:
I purchased a Berkey Light water filter system last year in the spring with my tax refund.  The Berkey Light system is the all-plastic Berkey.  I also bought the plastic base offered in connection for the unit, for the convenience of it. 

Just short of one year later. I noticed a leak at the bottom of the water spigot.  After dumping out the water, cleaning all the parts, I tried re-seating the spigot again, but the leak persisted.  Finally, I noticed a small tear in the plastic at the bottom of the hole for the spigot. 

I contacted the retailer who sold me the unit and they graciously sent me a replacement bottom reservoir (this part has the hole where the spigot is located).  However, upon putting all the parts back together, this time the base unit cracked in several places.  The cracks are such that it’s not completely un-usable, but it bothers me that I spent $209 plus extra for the base for a product that really didn’t last longer than about a year.  It could be faulty design.  There doesn’t seem to be much reinforcement , on or near the areas that get the most use – especially at the bottom of the spigot hole.  Additionally, the plastic base unit  now is “brittle” and easily cracks. 

Needless to say, as soon as I am able to afford it, I intend to replace this unreliable but necessary system, with an all-metal one.  Please alert your readers before they make the mistake of buying a plastic Berkey Light.  Save the extra money necessary and buy a stainless steel Berkey. 

Sincerely, – P.J. in Oregon

Letter Re: Prepping With Limited Funds

Mr. Rawles,
I feel for L. Burton, as I know what she is going through. I’m not a beginning prepper, but I am one who doesn’t have a lot of dollars to throw around. I’ve been out of a full-time job since late 2007 (thanks, Socialists) and have spent the intervening years in combinations of contract work, part-time second jobs and freelance work — just to get by. There are no luxuries in my household, save for the occasional slice of pizza on a Friday night. I can speak to one area of her concern, and that’s food prepping. I’ve bought what I could, when I could, utilizing sales and coupons purchased on eBay. It hasn’t worked too badly; considering that I’ve had very little to spend, I’ve accumulated a year’s supply of eating over the last few years. Not as much variety as I’d like, but I’ve got a little bit of everything (and a lot of some items) — certainly not bad.

I have concentrated a substantial portion of my almost-no-budget food spending into two specific basic foods: Barilla Plus, a high-protein, high-fiber, ALA-rich pasta; and dry lentils. Barilla Plus pasta costs more than regular pasta, but it packs a lot more nutritional “bang for the buck” (See the nutritional profile.) My local warehouse store — which accepts manufacturer coupons — now stocks a four-pack-box of Barilla Plus angel hair and spaghetti for a little more than $6 — about $2 cheaper than at the supermarket. I prefer these pastas, rather than the shaped ones (elbows, etc.), simply because they’re flat and straight — the same weight of pasta stores in less space. Dry lentils, in my opinion, should be the foundation of any long-term food storage — even over the much more popular wheat berries and beans. The advantages are many:

1. Indefinite shelf life if stored properly. Even stored improperly, they last a long time. I had a half-full bag of lentils — simply with the open end folded over — that lay, forgotten, on the back of a pantry shelf for five years. When I found and re-used them, they cooked up just fine — and I could sprout them, too.

2. Cost. Lentils are very cheap, and you don’t have to buy them through mail order or at a health food store. The type of lentils that I like (Goya brand, Pardina variety) costs $1.29 for a one pound bag at the supermarket.

3. Nutritional powerhouse. Very high in protein (20 of the 22 essential amino acids), fiber, some vitamins and some minerals (iron, molybdenum). Combine with a grain or pasta, and you’ve got a complete protein. Some nutritionists include lentils on their lists of “superfoods.”

4. Easy to eat. Easily digestible, even for people who may have problems with other legumes. They don’t require the soaking preparation of dry beans. And they taste good, too.

5. Lentils are really two foods. You can cook lentils in the normal fashion, eating them plain or combining into a multitude of dishes. But lentils are also very easily sprouted — providing a completely different nutritional profile as vegetable sprouts. Lentil sprouts, unlike their dry stage, are a complete protein (all 22 essential amino acids) and have the enzymes and phytonutrients of fresh vegetables. All of this can be obtained for the investment of a clean glass jar, a piece of cheesecloth, and 3 or 4 days of time on a countertop or stove.

I hope that Mrs. Burton can take away some good ideas from my similar experience of prepping with little money. best, – J.C.

Economics and Investing:

Vrenellis, anyone? Swiss Parliament to Discuss a New Gold Franc.

US Taxpayers Just Paid $780 Million to Fund the Latest Greece Bailout Tranche. [JWR Adds: For some perspective, do you remember the uproar the $1.5 billion 1979 Chrysler bailout caused? And that was a loan, not a gift.]

‘The Greeks Would Be Well Advised to Exit the Euro Zone’. (Thanks to J.B.G. for the link.)

Yishai flagged this, over at the Jammie Wearing Fool blog: Great News: Friday’s Anemic Jobs Number Are Likely Bogus

Items from The Economatrix:

Oil & Gasoline Prices on the Rise Again

Graph:  What Recovery?

US Treasury Weighs Options to Avoid Default

Brzezenski:  Middle Class Unrest to Hit U.S.

16 Reasons to Feel Really Depressed About the Direction the Economy is Headed

Grim Jobs Report Casts Shadow Over Debt Talks

Odds ‘n Sods:

Alan W. recommended the 2008 Emergency Guide for First Responders.  

   o o o

Pierre M. sent this: ‘Car sleepers’ the new US homeless

   o o o

Tam over at View From The Porch had this commentary: You’re in the Army now… only maybe not…

   o o o

G.G. suggested: 10 Reasons I’m Canceling My Credit Cards

   o o o

I heard that Best Prices Storable Foods will be raising the price of their Red Feather canned butter once they’ve received their next shipment. But for now, they are still selling it at the current price of $139.90 per case, including shipping.

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 35 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 Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 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.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 35 ends on July 31st, 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.