Preparedness Notes for Monday — June 14, 2021

During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution on June 14th, 1777, stating that “the flag of the United States be thirteen alternate stripes red and white” and that “the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.” The national flag, which became known as the “Stars and Stripes,” was based on the “Grand Union” flag– a banner carried by the Continental Army in 1776 that also consisted of 13 red and white stripes.

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I just heard about a new listing, over at my son’s SurvivalRealty.com site. It is near Newcastle Wyoming: Great multi-family home (9 bedrooms) on 40 acres, with solar power.

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Please take note that we are running short of articles to post for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. So, if you have an article that you’ve drafted but haven’t completed, then please finish it up, and e-mail it to us. That will put you in the running for the thousands of dollars with of prizes that will be awarded in the first week of August. Your article doesn’t need to have any photographs. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. Thanks!

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Today, another product review by the indefatigable Pat Cascio – our Field Gear Editor.

Glock 21 .45 ACP Pistol, by Pat Cascio

I still remember when the Glock 20 and 21 first came out, and I owned both, That was when I worked for the late Col. Rex Applegate. The Glock 20 is a 10mm pistol, and the Model 21 is chambered in .45 ACP. Other than the chamberings, both guns are alike in many ways. However, the 10mm version didn’t balance as nicely in my hand as the .45 ACP version did. Of course, the 10mm barrel is a little bit thicker, while the .45 ACP version has a barrel that is thinner because of the larger diameter bullet. You’d assume that both guns would feel the same – but they don’t. And, I ran a test with a number of shooters, and they all said the same thing, the Model 21 felt better and balanced better in their hand. So, it wasn’t just me.

For quite a few years, the 10mm round was “the” caliber to have, it would stop a charging rhino with a single shot, or shoot down a jet fighter from 10-miles up. Well, that wasn’t true and it still isn’t! The 10mm was a hard-hitting, and hard recoiling round in any handgun, but with practice, it is controllable. The FBI even went to the Smith & Wesson 1076 chambered in 10mm. The only problem was, like many in law enforcement, they aren’t really into guns, per se. The FBI and most polices departments just weren’t willing to invest the training time and money to properly transition their agents and officers. So, in short order, the FBI abandoned the 10mm and went to the .40 S&W – which is a shorter, and more watered-down round than the 10mm was – but it is still a 10mm diamerter bullet. And many ammo makers started reducing the power of the 10mm, until it was down to near the same power as the .40 S&W.

Today, the 10mm is making a comeback and many ammo makers are once again loading the 10mm caliber to what it used to be. Two ammo makers, Buffalo Bore Ammunition and Double Tap, are making some really hot 10mm rounds these days, and I’ve shot both brands in various 10mm handguns. Of course, we are in the worst ammo drought in history, and all calibers are extremely difficult to find on dealer’s shelves. The 10mm is very difficult to find these days. (It takes either a lot of luck or tools like ammoseek.com, to find any.) Our local small box stores have had no 9mm ammo or .45 ACP on their shelves for several months now, and if you are lucky enough to find some ammo, you are limited to only two boxes per caliber, per day.

The Glock 21 that I have is a Gen 4 version that comes with variety of thickness backstraps. It was made in good ol’ Georgia, USA. Prior to this, the first Generation examples were made in Austria, where Glock is headquartered. Here in the United States, Glock has established a service center as well as actually producing many of their models in Georgia.

A little bit of specification info on the Glock 21 is in order, of course: This is a full-sized service handgun. However, with the right clothing and holster, you can still conceal it fairly well. The Model 21 has a 4.61-inch barrel, making it shorter than a full-sized 1911 Government Model. The gun weighs in at 26.28 ounces, with no magazine in place, and 29.28 ounces with an empty magazine, and roughly 39-ounces with a loaded magazine, depending on bullet weight. The slide is 1.12-inches wide at the widest point, so it is right in there, with a 1911 handgun, and at the widest point, the gun is 1.34-inches wide.Continue reading“Glock 21 .45 ACP Pistol, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Potato Balls

The following recipe for Potato Balls is from The New Butterick Cook Book, by Flora Rose, co-head of the School of Home Economics at Cornell University. It was published in 1924. A professional scan of that 724-page out-of-copyright book is one of the many bonus items included in the latest edition of the waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick. The small second production run of the 15th Anniversary Edition (2005-2020) USB stick should be available for ordering on July 1st. Thanks for your patience.

Ingredients
  • 1 quart potato balls
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon-juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoons butter or butter substitute
Directions

With a vegetable scoop, cut balls from raw potatoes. Cook in boiling water until tender, and drain. Add to them lemon-juice, salt, pepper, parsley, and butter or butter substitute. Stir lightly so that all the potatoes are seasoned, and serve at once.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the deepening US budget deficit.

Precious Metals:

Adrian Day: What Is Driving Gold?

o  o  o

Gold price at ‘steep discount’ vs. crude oil: $2,000 gold will be breached – Bloomberg Intelligence

o  o  o

Arkadiusz Sieroń: Will Gold Rally Continue In The Upcoming Months?

Economy & Finance:

Getting Gold From An ATM in Abu Dhabi.

o  o  o

AP: US budget deficit for current year hits record $2.1 trillion. An except from the article’s introduction:

“The U.S. budget deficit hit a record $2.06 trillion through the first eight months of this budget year as coronavirus relief programs drove spending to all-time highs.

The shortfall this year is 9.7% higher than the $1.88 trillion deficit run up over the same period a year ago, the Treasury Department said Thursday in its monthly budget report.

The report showed that spending from October through May totaled a record $4.67 trillion, up 19.7% from the same period a year ago. Government tax revenue was up 29.1% to $2.61 trillion, compared to the same period a year ago.

However, this year’s figure was bolstered by tax payments made in May, a month later than the normal April deadline but a month earlier than last year’s June deadline.”

o  o  o

Reader H.L. sent this item: Half of the pandemic’s unemployment money may have been stolen

o  o  o

Some interesting observations, over at Headline USA: Resetting the Federal Debt.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — June 13, 2021

On June 13, 1777, Marquis de Lafayette landed in the fledgling United States.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 95 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. An Israeli CBRN Gas Mask with Hydration Straw and two Extra 40mm NATO Filter s – Manufactured in 2020 (a $229.99 value), courtesy of McGuire Army-Navy.
  5. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  6. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 95 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The Science: Reusing Canning Jar Lids – Part 2, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

#4. “Tempered less than Mason jars.” Nearly every book, website, and blog discussing this subject insists that Mason jars are tempered. They’re definitely, absolutely, NOT tempered. Glass has three basic hardening options: tempering, heat strengthening, and annealing. All commercial and home-canning jars are annealed, not tempered. Annealing is a process where jars are cooled down very slowly after production to make them more consistent and to minimize stresses. Whenever glass breaks into the sharp jagged pieces seen when we break a jar or window it’s merely annealed, not tempered or heat strengthened.

That brings up the logical question, are there different annealing processes to make Mason jars stronger than salsa and pickle jars? I contacted another large glass and jar manufacturer who’s been in business for 100+ years. The general manager was kind enough to answer the question himself. Paraphrasing his reply, all the jars they make follow a similar annealing process as do jars made by other manufacturers. He said further, anyone who claims home-canning jars are stronger is using it as a selling tactic, but it’s not true. When I asked if a jar is a jar, he replied yes, basically a glass jar is a glass jar.

#5. “ [commercial jars] may be weakened by repeated contact with metal spoons or knives used in dispensing mayonnaise or salad dressing. Seemingly insignificant scratches in glass may cause cracking and breakage while processing jars in a canner.” More pure conjecture and there’s no data to support it. Manufacturers put a tin-oxide coating on the outside of jars before they’re annealed to prevent scratches by commercial and home canners. I tried a spoon, fork, butter knife, and finally the sharp tip of a Swiss-made steel kitchen knife but I was unable to make a scratch in the glass. Many have experienced the same when scraping label adhesive off commercial jars with a knife. Chips in the rim are possible but it seems a rounded jar rim would be less damaged during use than a flat rim with its right angles at the edges which could more easily be broken off.

Canning Lid Shelf Life – Even though companies such as Ball recommend using lids within a year of purchase, they concede they can still be used 3-5 years later. The USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, p 1-15 says, “Gaskets in unused lids work well for at least 5 years from date of manufacture. The gasket compound in older unused lids may fail to seal on jars. Buy only the quantity of lids you will use in a year.” Again, no experiments with data have been done on this. Many of us know from experience that modern lids have a much longer shelf life than five years. For his article, I dug through my stash of used lids and found one from 2007 and several from 2008 and 2009. I reconstituted them in hot water and when placed on jars of boiling water, all sealed. All my commercial pickle and salsa jars were bought prior to 2013 and still continue to seal every year.Continue reading“The Science: Reusing Canning Jar Lids – Part 2, by St. Funogas”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

 

To share this, you can find it here: https://kapwi.ng/c/Ltl2NKku

Meme Text:

A Red Letter Day: June 7, 2021

The Day The BATF Proposed Turning Three Million Law-Abiding Americans Into Unprosecuted Felons

You can see the details of their perfidy, here.

Please post a comment at the DOJ website, in opposition!

Also,  please contact your congressmember and your two U.S. Senators and encourage to introduce legislation to negate this ATF tyranny. It is very simple:  Remove “Short-Barreled Rifles” and “Short-Barreled Shotguns” from the controls of National Firearms Act! That will be an “end-run” around the ATF’s scheme.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” – Ephesians 4:1-16 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — June 12, 2021

On June 12, 1987, during a visit to the divided German city of Berlin, President Ronald Reagan publicly challenged Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.” The fall of the wall (Mauerfall, auf Deutsch) took place just two years later, on 9 November 1989.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 95 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. An Israeli CBRN Gas Mask with Hydration Straw and two Extra 40mm NATO Filter s – Manufactured in 2020 (a $229.99 value), courtesy of McGuire Army-Navy.
  5. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  6. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 95 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The Science: Reusing Canning Jar Lids – Part 1, by St. Funogas

I’ve been on an incredible journey since submitting my last article Reusing Canning Jar Lids to SurvivalBlog.

That article was based on my personal experience reusing 1,000+ canning jar lids. Many other home canners bear similar testimony about successfully reusing lids. My article specifically mentioned ignoring all the blogs, the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, and even my own experience mentioned in the article. Since the best teacher is personal experience, I then challenged the reader to do a simple test themselves by canning some water with used canning jar lids.

In this follow-up article, I have researched and contacted many of the professionals involved in recommending home-canning procedures including the USDA and Newell Brands, the company which makes Ball, Kerr, Golden Harvest, and Bernardin Jars. I’ve also gone straight to the horse’s mouth and contacted many glass-jar manufacturers and suppliers, engineers, makers of the plastisol sealant used on virtually all of today’s food jar lids, and the FDA’s regulation book for commercial canners, among others.

I believe this is possibly the most comprehensive article on the subject of reusing canning lids and commercial jars which pickles, salsa, pasta sauce, etc. come in. This is a science-based, informative treatise concerning all aspects of reusing canning lids and commercial jars. I hope this article, for some at least, will be the one to finally end all the “controversy” about reusing these items.

TYPES OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON REUSING CANNING LIDS

There are two main sources of canning information available: advice from professionals like the USDA and Ball (and the many bloggers and county-extension offices quoting them), and personal testimonies.   Personal testimonies were discussed in the previous article. This article first discusses recommendations by the USDA and their close associate in home canning, the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP), then takes a look at the science behind jars and lids.

Since nearly every article mentioning not reusing canning lids refers back to one of the above two organizations, let’s examine their advice.

IMPORTANT CLARIFICATIONS

First, a few clarifications:

“Commercial jars” refers to jars and their lids from store-bought pickles, salsa, pasta sauce, etc. Please note my references in this article for reusing commercial jars are for water-bath canning only, not pressure canning which I have not tried. The reasons will be explained in more detail in the section on canning lid shelf life.

Incorrect terminology – The words “botulism” and “unsafe” have no place in discussions of reusing canning lids and commercial jars. These terms are used by people who don’t understand the science and principles behind canning. Botulism in home canning results from two things: pressure canner temperatures not reaching 240-250°F for the specified time period, and water-bath canning foods which are not acidic enough. Therefore, whether lids are new or used has nothing to do with botulism. The concept of “unsafe” is also irrelevant to the discussion.   New and used lids can fail to seal when canning principles are not strictly adhered to but that does not make the contents unsafe. Home-canned food is only unsafe when unsealed jars are not either put into the refrigerator or reprocessed.

Jar lids don’t fail, humans do. When canning-jar lids don’t seal it’s due to human error, not new- or used-lid problems. Lid problems should be caught by the user beforehand by inspecting each new or used lid. Photo 1 (below) shows a few things which make lids unusable for canning.Continue reading“The Science: Reusing Canning Jar Lids – Part 1, by St. Funogas”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in this column, in the Odds ‘n Sods Column, and in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I just had another quiet week, out of state. I found a couple of more antique guns, that I’ll be adding to Elk Creek Company catalog.  This week I also had the pleasure of delivering one antique gun order, in person. The timing just happened to work out, and the buyer propitiously lives less than 30 miles from where I’m staying. On that same trip, I dropped off a half-dozen pre-1927 books for scanning. Those will be bonus items for next year’s edition of the SurvivaBlog archive USB stick.

I’m anxious to get home to the ranch. But I must remind myself: Patience, patience…

Now, let’s hear from Lily.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

 Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.

Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.

So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over Israel.

David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.

And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither.

Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David.

And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind that are hated of David’s soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.

So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.

And David went on, and grew great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him.” – 2 Samuel 5: 1-10 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — June 11, 2021

John Wayne, the iconic American film actor, died on June 11th, 1979. While John Wayne is probably best known for his westerns like True Grit, The Shootist, and Fort Apache, we remember him best for his roles in The Alamo and The Green Berets, both of which reflected his patriotic, conservative leanings.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 95 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. An Israeli CBRN Gas Mask with Hydration Straw and two Extra 40mm NATO Filter s – Manufactured in 2020 (a $229.99 value), courtesy of McGuire Army-Navy.
  5. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  6. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 95 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

 

Gear Review: Two Twig Stoves, by The Novice

I often enjoy using my Norwegian “Storm Kitchen” alcohol stove. It is reliable, quiet, compact, clean, and convenient. It has just two weaknesses: it heats slowly, and in a long-term disaster scenario, I might run out of fuel for it. So I started looking into “twig stoves”. These stoves are fueled by sticks, pine cones, and other small, dry bio-mass. They have a reputation for heating quickly, and I have a virtually unlimited supply of fuel around my property.

I looked at quite a number of stoves. There are dozens to choose from. Most of them are made in China. I really wanted to find one that was made in the United States.

The Emberlit-UL Original Titanium Lightweight Backpacking Stove

In the course of my search, I ran across the Emberlit-UL Titanium. I was excited to note that it is made in the United States. I sent an inquiry to Mr. Mikhail Merkurieff, CEO of Merkwares LLC, asking if he could provide me with a unit for testing and evaluation. He was kind enough to agree.

The Generic Twig Stove

I also ordered a generic “8 Inch Camping Wood Stove” from eBay. The manufacturer was not specified, the country of origin was not specified (but it was presumably manufactured in mainland China), the design looked well-conceived, and the price was excellent ($21.99). Eight days later, the package was delivered from Jurupa Valley, California.

Initial Generic Stove Impressions

The shipping box was much smaller than I expected, measuring just 5.5″x5.5″x3.13″. The box contained a mesh bag with the stove components and nothing else: No directions, no explanation of how the various components fit together, and no markings regarding manufacturer or country of origin.

Fortunately, the way the components fit together was reasonably intuitive and ingenious. A return visit to the listing on eBay revealed some photos with a rudimentary set of directions regarding how to use the unit.

The stove consists of a base, a tubular stove wall, a firepot, a pan holder, and a plate for holding solid alcohol fuel.

For those seeking a similar stove, it appears identical to the Canway Camping Stove sold on eBay and elsewhere.Continue reading“Gear Review: Two Twig Stoves, by The Novice”