Anyone that has lived off-grid can relate to this piece by “Enola Gay”, over at the Paratus Familia blog: Lights Out. Life off grid isn’t perfect, but it sure beats the vulnerability of the alternative.
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A Russian writer suggests: Coldest winter in 1,000 years on its way. (Thanks to Ron M. for the link.)
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This tool rules out some choices for retreat locales: Murder Captured By Google Street View Car (Warning: Graphic images!)
“There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you’ll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment.” – American college football coach Nick Saban
Today we present another entry for Round 31 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will 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 between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Parabellum (Luger ) with 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP projectiles, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $249 value), and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).
Second Prize: A.) 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 $400, B.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and C.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).
Third Prize: A.) A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing, and B.) a Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.)
Round 31 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.
Indoor Winter Vegetable Gardens, by Kate in Colorado
The first cool night of the almost changing season gave the squash plants a shiver and they curled their big leaves upon themselves as if to find protection. I wait for this moment in the eternal gardening cycle to begin preparing my plants and myself for the “indoor” gardening season. You see, I don’t let the thought of thirty degree days or fear of the blowing snow that is Colorado keep me from enjoying the, excuse the pun, fruits of my gardening labor.
With the looming price hike in food and the uncertainty of the times I am comforted with the knowledge that I’ll be picking fresh greens, tomatoes, peppers, beans, and herbs right in the comfort of my living spaces. No, I don’t have a greenhouse. So I thought I’d share a little information of how you too can enjoy the benefits of fresh produce all years round without a greenhouse or sun room.
I live in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, so lest you think I have great growing conditions, know that indoor gardening can be challenging. But, I feel it is a mandatory skill set to learn. Not only do you have the benefits of fresh produce at a time of year the grocery stores charge a kings ransom for a bunch of scallions or a bit of radish, you will have the ability to augment meals if we run into TEOTWAWKI during winter.
There are a few basics you must have to be successful and you must practice these plant husbandry skills in order to reap any rewards. Practice is critical as you must understand the growing parameters of the plants you choose and where in the house you will be gardening for best results.
First, examine you home for the best plant locations. Good lighting is critical. Without good direct light your plants will grow long and spindly or “leggy”. If a plant must go searching for light for the photosynthesis process they won’t have the energy to grow properly, let alone set fruiting bodies. I am fortunate in having large south facing windows in three rooms. I also augment with grow lights, so when I decide where certain plants will spend their winter I set up the lighting before I place the plants. It is easier to get the area ready before you place the plants. Some of my plants are in the topsy turvy planters so I set the lights close to the floor pointing upwards. The plants are suspended on chains held up with hooks in the ceiling. Remember plants grow toward the light. I think it is very important because some plants hate to be moved around and will be a little temperamental if jostled around to find better lighting.
Think about temperature fluctuations. We keep our house at 60 degrees during the winter. Yes, that’s really cool. We have hot water heat and I can adjust the “zones” at will and during the day I turn up heat in the rooms that I will be working. I cluster various plants that need extra warmth at night like tomatoes and peppers together in a room. Some veggies like cool temperatures like lettuces, green onions, and peas. These are grown in a cool zone. If you heat with wood be careful not to place plants too close to the stove as the dry heat will suck the moisture right out of them. You must also watch the temperatures in front of your windows and e careful that the plants don’t get overheated during the day. If they do, they will have a hard time with water usage and leaf burns. A window shade is a good idea in case you have to moderate the solar gain through windows.
Next I prepare the pots for the plants. If you are moving plants from the garden you will need good size pots. Most plants need several gallons of augmented soil to have plenty of room for root expansion. Make sure they are scrubbed clean and rinsed in a little bleach water. After washing and rinsing the pots, I give them a good dose of sunshine to dry them out well. Place a layer of clean small rocks in the bottom and fill about 2/3 full with garden soil and compost. They are now ready for your plants. If the planters are very large you should do the dirt filling in the place where the plants will grow. The hernia you prevent from lifting all that weight will be appreciated!
Next I select the plants I will be transferring. Use your best stock. I normally transfer tomatoes and pepper plants. The rest of my garden I start from fresh heirloom seeds, but the tomatoes and peppers take too long to grow so I take advantage of the summer’s growth. I check the plants for insects and then wash the leaves with a little soapy water and a good rinse. I then carefully cut back the plant by about 1/3. This will help the plants root system as it struggles to re-establish itself in its’ new location. Dig the plants out with a generous root and soil ball and take it to its’ new “home”. Carefully “tease” the roots to untangle them a little. Don’t be rough. Just open the spaces to help the roots set out new “feeder” rootlets. Open a hole in the planters soil and water the hole generously and place the plants and place the soil the around the entire plant, tamping the soil lightly. If the plants are tall, I stake the plants at this time. And carefully tie the plants as to not constrict the stalks.
The choices for your other plant varieties for you garden are endless. I select fast growers like several types of greens, bunching onions (green onions), green beans, kale, and herbs. All of these varieties are started in two week intervals throughout the winter. This will lengthen the growing “season”. Just follow the planting directions carefully for each variety.
Gardening indoors takes patience and dedication. The plants need to be tended frequently. I mist my plants every day because the humidity in my location is very low. I use a water meter to carefully determine the plants water needs. Don’t “guess” about soil moisture or fertility. The inexpensive meters that are available will take all the guess work out of keeping the soil in good condition. Your plants will thank you by the best productivity possible.
During the winter I make what I call “instant compost” by taking vegetable scraps and place them in a blender with lots of water and liquefy them. I let it settle and then use the water on the top as a fertilizer for the plants a couple of times a month. I also check frequently for white fly, aphids, and spider mites. Use appropriate insecticide only if the infestations are severe. I usually wash any area affected with soapy water and seem to be able to control insects before they get out of hand.
You might ask why I go to the trouble of growing food producing plants indoors because of the effort involved. To me, the most important reason is that it is a skill that I might need in the future. What if I had to produce food in the safety and privacy of my home during TEOTWAWKI? I know that I can, because I have practiced the skill. Also, my plants teach me patience, perseverance, and observation skills. I also teach my grandchildren the joys of gardening year round and show them the simple pleasures of nurturing dependent life forms. There is nothing that gives a person hope for the future more than harvesting delicious food while the snow is blowing sideways during a storm!
I urge you to think about trying your hand at winter gardening this year. There are many books and periodicals available to teach you all the skills you need to succeed. The most important lessons of all will be the joy of adding a skill you can use the rest of your life
Two Letters Re: A Little Insight on Diesel Engines
Jim:
I am prepper, survivalist, as well as a longtime waste vegetable oil (WVO) user. I wasn’t gonna get in this diesel game, except that it saved my life. In 2004 I was in a severe commercial truck accident where I was struck in the fuel tank and rolled three times. When the EMT was cleaning me up, she told me that using diesel fuel had saved my life. If I had been in a company truck that was gas-powered (Top Kick C6500) I would have died in a explosion upon impact. That was the day I became a diesel believer, and shortly later a grease diesel believer.
My family owns a 2000 Ford Excursion with a 7.3 Powerstroke, it is fully outfitted with bull bar, inverter, CB radio, real front hubs, but most importantly a Vegistroke (fully automatic WVO fuel system). I love this system and have 103,000 miles on it (including 60,000 miles on WVO) with original injectors. I have a range of 1,500-1,600 miles between diesel and WVO, which is perfect for G.O.O.D. situations, as well as family vacations. We also own a 2005 Jeep CRD (diesel) that has a one-off kit with roughly 55K miles on WVO, original injectors as well.
My successful long term use of WVO was accomplished it part by doing it right: I have a centrifuge that cleans my oil to .5 (yes half a micron) absolute, as well as remove glycerin. It is a Dieselcraft OC-50 complete system, and the back bone to my way of life,allowing me to run my two SUVs and home for next to nothing. My home is heated with a AGsolutions b-150 boiler and gravity fed “Alaska” Bio-diesel stove (no electricity required), as well as a wood stove. We can generate enough electricity with my diesel generator (also runs on bio-diesel), to power the boiler, house and or make enough clean fuel to G.O.O.D., without an issue. We have lived this lifestyle for 5 years without a hitch, and intend on living this way no matter what political, economic, or SHTF scenario comes down the road. – H.L., Prepared in New Hampshire (“Live Free or Die”)
Mr. Rawles:
In response to Rick B.’s stated apprehension about homebrewed diesel fuel: Yes all those cautionary concerns are true. Running any homebrewed fuel comes with consequences and extra maintenance issue. But I believe he is missing the point. There may very well come a day when you cannot afford to simply go to the pump and churn out clean dino-fuel due to unaffordable high prices or just plain old non availability.
So then what? Do you turn your prized diesel into a raised bed garden on wheels? No. You improvised adapt and overcome. You move on to the next best thing. And that is, knowing how to use your available resources to get moving.
I have used all kinds or reclaimed oils in several different diesels. I have used a mixture of 20% regular unleaded gas to 80% filtered veg-oil that I have reclaimed from restaurants. I have also filtered used motor oil (which also requires boiling to remove as much of the impurities as possible) mixed with #2 diesel to run my mechanical diesels.
I have used all of the above in my 2001 F-250 for years and have traveled several thousand miles at a time solely on processed oil and [a 20% mixture of] unleaded gas (not bio-diesel). Without any problems other than changing my fuel filter every 3,000 miles just to be cautious.
I have run the same mixtures in my 2005 Dodge 3500 with wonderful results. And my 1990 Ford 350 van loves it.
My point is, it can be done safely. Yes you do have to change filters more frequently. And yes you need to be extremely diligent about your filtering of any oil alternative before using it as fuel.
I do not mess with bio-diesel simply because the processes involved make it less post-TEOTWAWKI friendly.
As for the internal combustion of these homebrewed fuels and the cleanliness of the engine, I can only speak for my self. My 1990 F-350 van was filthy internally, but after running veg-oil (not processed motor oil which can dirty up the engine ) for several years the engine was as clean as the day we rebuilt it.
So IMHO, when approached from the right mindset and through filtering, any waster veg-oil or motor oil is a very viable fuel source for any diesel not weighted down by excessive amount of electronic sensors (probably 2006 and newer).
But beware, do not widely advertise your fuel mixture. Because some states frown on using homebrewed fuel because they are missing out on you paying road fuel taxes. – A.S.W.
[JWR Adds: Readers are cautioned not to use gasoline blends in diesel engines, except in extremis.]
Reader Robert A. sent this: How to Make & Use Gold Test Solutions. Robert’s comment: “I recently entered a gold and silver exchange to sell, what I thought was silver, and upon testing discovered that it was a very thick silver plate. Below is a list of solutions used for various testing of gold and silver. I was informed that using the 14 karat gold solution works well for testing silver.”
K. in Montana liked this piece over at the Rural Revolution blog: The Economics of Prepping
Dan J. flagged this: S&P: $460 Billion Shadow Inventory [of distressed residential properties] Will Take 41 Months to Clear. Gee, and that is assuming that the market levels off…
R.B.S. highlighted this article: Bill Seeks Increased Congressional Oversight of Coin Production. His comment: “More news on pending changes to those ‘terrible nickels and dimes’ that ‘cost us’ to produce…”
H.H. suggested this bit of gloomage by Tyler Durden: Introduction To The Road Through 2012: Revolution or World War III
Items from The Economatrix:
Joseph Stiglitz: The Euro May Not Survive
China Pledges to Prop Up Eurozone and Save Greece
US Unemployment “Probably” Rose in September
The Daily Gold & Silver Report: Massive Mortgage Fraud, Massive Movements in Silver continue
Buying Gold Before The “Blow Off Phase”
Readers J.B.G. and T.B. both sent this: Super-rich investors buy gold by ton
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Richard S. suggested this interesting–albeit very poorly-titled–article: Self-Aiming Sniper Rifles Coming Next Year
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G.G. mentioned that an interview with David Werner, the author of the book, “Where There Is No Doctor”, is available as a podcast at the OffTheGridNews.com web site.
“Plan A is to live a long, prosperous life while enjoying my Freedom, and Liberty. My Guns are Plan B.” – From a .sig block at The Highroad Forums.
Today we present another entry for Round 31 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will 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 between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Parabellum (Luger ) with 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP projectiles, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $249 value), and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).
Second Prize: A.) 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 $400, B.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and C.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).
Third Prize: A.) A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing, and B.) a Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.)
Round 31 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.
I am a Christian, husband and father. I am a former 10 year active Army veteran and three year National Guardsman in Louisiana. My military background is helicopter crew chief, CID (the Army’s equivalent of the FBI) and then an Armor officer in the National Guard. After leaving the Guard I became a Louisiana State Patrol (LSP) trooper. I have since left the state police. It is my experience as a state trooper that I wish to write about. I have read on your blog about many things and appreciate them all in many ways.
Recently a writer was predicting the way the police will respond and in this area I would like to add what I know and what I predict. A retired trooper friend and I have polled both active officers at the state, city and parish (county) level. I have worked with Houston PD, Texas DPS, Baton Rouge PD and New Orleans PD. The results of the questions all reveal the same thing. Very, very few active officers even think about TEOTWAWKI. Not only is it not on their radar there are no contingency plans should it become a problem. On the retired side preparedness or awareness is at best 50/50. I think that many Americans will be surprised with the answer many serving officers gave when asked what they will do if TEOTWAWKI ever occurs: Almost to a person they respond they will go home and protect their families or G.O.O.D. As far as protecting anyone else? Forget it. There are no contingencies to bring families in to the department or is there room.
There are many levels of professionalism represented in any force, but it did not matter in my non-scientific poll. I think the word duty now is a throw-away word used by many when it is convenient or the public is present. As a soldier I knew it, I felt it and I lived it but in the LSP the politically correct/aware people have driven it out of daily operations. Many have reported their department is in the same shape. There are exceptions of course, but they have been rare in my search and are to be applauded when you meet them (think of Obama’s unthinking words about the Philly PD situation with his friend. As far as protection goes though most officers are very under-armed. They only have an issue sidearm and issue shotgun for most departments. In the LSP we rode heavier than most with most troopers loaded for bear (and a lot of ammo on hand) and then the SWAT teams officers tend to be gun lovers and were even more heavily armed. As far as hiring these officers to provide security then a town/group/community will have to at least provide ammo (budget reductions are beginning to reduce the amount of ammo available regardless of the article where homeland security bought millions of rounds). Further budget cuts are only going to make it worse.
As I see TEOTWAWKI unfolding you have two flavors: natural and man-made. As far as natural events we have the CME or various other earthquake, tornado, hurricanes (we go hit hard by Hurricane Rita-I sheltered in place which is another story). man-made events though will probably tend to be a slow slide as the government will do what all governments tend to do: survive as long as possible. I just read a great fictional work along the lines of “Patriots” that is titled: “The Illuminati
My mother is an emergency management planner for our county in Washington state and is a liberal (my Dad’s vote cancels her out). I have spoken to her at length about these types of issues and she and her ilk think the government is basically good and would never hurt anyone. Do not mention our constitutional freedoms though! The 2nd amendment is conditional to public safety! On the flip side our conversations also reveal her (and her peers/professional fire fighters/law enforcers, etc.) tendency and willingness of the government to maintain control in any situation no matter what the cost (lost freedom/liberty/eminent domain/seizure of supplies, etc.) as a significant part of maintaining order and recovering from the disaster. Only states like Louisiana that have passed emergency disaster laws protecting guns from police seizure will maintain any sort of civility or order in a disaster (from now on in Los Angeles).
I was able to prevent looting on my dead end street during Hurricane Rita solely because I had a rifle and was preparing to employ it when the looters made haste. I stood on my corner for an hour and a half before a deputy came along (no phones-cell or land line). He instructed me to shoot the next looters I saw. I need to add here that prepping for Rita was last minute and only authorized access to five neighboring homes to clean out their refrigerators made my home easily livable. I had a generator and 150 gallons of gas-it was used up in one and half weeks. I did not use it sparingly as the end was always in sight. Now that I have found this site, read “Patriots“, “One Second After” and a few others and I am moving my family in a fully prepped state. I would also remind everyone that it is the little things that kill you (army aviation experience). So make sure you have the minor things as well: paper clips, screws, Scotch Brite pads, etc. Without these the long-term will become exponentially more difficult and time consuming.
Please understand that people that are not reading this blog or similar ones (and not natural preppers) are not preparing for anything beyond a one week natural disaster event. Most not even doing that according to several homeland security studies obtained from my family. After that there will be a lot of people with no hope. I am known at work as Mr. Gloom and Doom (but not as smart as Mr. Roubini) as I try to weave questions about our fragile society into daily conversations. It is my hope that one or two at least may begin prepping.
Captain Rawles:
Let me add a caveat to burning raw oil (Filtered Vegetable Oil, Waste Vegetable Oil, Straight Vegetable Oil, Raw Vegetable Oil) in diesels.
I have heard claims stating; “These engines will burn anything! You can dump in cooking oil, heating oil, kerosene, bacon fat, filter your used crankcase oil through a nylon stocking…you can even burn perfume!” To that I must add; “Garbage in, garbage out”, only not all the garbage goes out… it settles in your engine.
All myths are based on some truth, and those claims are no exception.
First, stay away from animal fats. They clump. They also stay suspended. They just won’t filter out. They are a nuisance. Waste Vegetable oil can be filtered, or refined. Fryer oil that has cooked french fries is fine, but when that same oil has been used to deep fry fish, chicken, or worse yet, pork, it is difficult to avoid problems, and those problems will always occur at the worst possible time. Each new load of vegetable oil (V.O.) should be tested for acidity, then even if you plan to burn S.V.O., make a small (quart) batch of biodiesel to test for clumping, or soap. If S.V.O. is to be burned, well, then just roll the dice and hope for the best. Yes, it will work in your diesel, but I guarantee that someday it will fail, and you will miss that job interview, or be stuck in a blizzard. Your diesel will not suddenly stop on a nice Summer day while just sitting in your driveway. Just won’t happen…. Second, Vegetable oil, and to a lesser extent, biodiesel will cause coking, which is a fouling inside your cylinders, especially around the valves, pre-chambers, and injector nozzles. Fouled nozzles can make a diesel difficult, or impossible to start, and the colder the weather, the more this condition is exacerbated. Also, fuel filters must be replaced on a more frequent rotation, and the use of an engine oil bypass filter is just plain ol’ common sense. More ash means dirtier oil, and more wear. An off-the-shelf oil filter will remove particles down to 40 to 75 microns. The problem is that engine damage also occurs with sub-20 micron particles. Get a bypass filter, and install it right away. The use of V.O. means you will generate more ash, and more ash means more engine wear, and more engine wear means a greater risk of an inconvenient engine failure.
The main culprit is glycerin and no, more heat added to the fuel won’t solve the problem. Glycerin is a problem that won’t go away, and if an owner is set on burning V.O., or biodiesel, then the injector nozzles must be cleaned, or replaced on a set schedule (every three months, or even more frequent is not unreasonable), and the pre-chambers reamed of carbon to prevent glow plug failure. Biodiesel must be washed, and then precipitated for at least seven days before use. Remember… that glycerin has to go! As for other fuels, yes, you can burn up to 50% kerosene with your diesel, and while this works well in extreme Northern Winters, the price of kerosene makes such a practice very restrictive. Gasoline (up to 10% has been successfully used in cold weather, but that is really just a time bomb. Your (expensive) diesel engine could grenade today, or in several years, but adding gasoline to diesel is not the wisest choice. You may have heard that gasoline can be successfully added to diesel fuel, but be wise and learn to immediately separate fables, from facts. There are better options.
So how do I cope with cold weather? Clean filters, clean injectors, working glow plugs with pre-chambers that are free of carbon, and maintain properly adjusted valves. As for fuel, I go to the pump and buy good ol’ dino diesel. I don’t have to collect, wash, titrate, filter, or worry about the mess, and sometimes reliability issues that are associated with V.O., or biodiesel. Yes, I do pay more for fuel, and while the (false) allure of free driving is enticing, it is important to remember, there is no free lunch. – Rick B.
$10,000 Gold? (Thanks to Siggy for the link.)
Don’t Get Too Excited About Gold — It’s Actually Down Compared to the Euro
US mint raises premiums on Silver Eagles by $.50 per coin
Richard H. sent this: Cheap Debt for Corporations Fails to Spur Economy
Items from The Economatrix:
Treating Symptoms, Ignoring The Root Cause
The Next Phase Of Gold’s Meteoric Rise
The Recent Move in Silver is Just a Preview of What We Can Expect in the Future
Dane S. sent this: Survivalist retreat yields big profits
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Reader “T. Tuttle” recommended the book “On Combat, The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace
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Mr. B. sent this: Are we raising a generation of nincompoops?
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Thanks to Richard H. for spotting this: MP3 Enabled Radio Launched for Developing World
“Am fear nach gheidh na h-airm ‘nam na sith, Cha bhi iad aige ‘n am a chogaidh.” – Gaelic Proverb (“Who keeps not his arms in times of peace, Will have no arms in times of war.”)
Today we present another entry for Round 31 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will 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 between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Parabellum (Luger ) with 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP projectiles, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $249 value), and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).
Second Prize: A.) 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 $400, B.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and C.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).
Third Prize: A.) A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing, and B.) a Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.)
Round 31 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.