My COVID-19 Firestorm Experience in Italy, by Z.

My trial by fire: What did the pandemic teach you about the people around you (and about yourself)?

First of all, let me introduce myself: I’m an Italian Red Cross volunteer with several years of experience in emergency first response and social service. I apologize if my English is not adequate, but after discovering this blog I thought you could appreciate my insights about the COVID-19 pandemic regardless.

I see that on this website there are many articles about technical preparedness, and even if I haven’t read everything that’s been published since spring 2020 to this day, I’m sure that topics like masks, sanitizing equipment, checking if your prep gear is working properly after the emergency is over, and the like have been covered extensively.

I’m ready to bet that there’s a topic that has not been covered, though: people.

Bear with me and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

I read that here many are Christians. Well, they surely know that the Bible says that everyone’s true character and faith is revealed “in the fire”, like gold is tested in the furnace. There’s no need to be a believer to know that this is a great truth, and I’ve seen it proved during the pandemic.

Especially (unfortunately not only) in the first weeks of the COVID outbreak, the situation in Italy was really hard. We had no masks and protective gear to wear, This disease was unknown, lethal and seemingly unstoppable, the healthcare system (one of the best in the world) was collapsing. The Government seemed at a loss, unable to provide materials and solutions. In that darkest weeks, every Italian was tested by God (for the nonbelievers, by history, destiny, or whatever) and had to show what he/she was made of.

I know of a nurse that seeing the situation escalate, suddenly took a week off and went to Poland (he had spent some months there years before, during his university years) and managed to stay there till Italy was on lockdown and every flight suspended, to avoid working when the risk was higher (he remained blocked there for months), his parents boasted about his ‘wisdom’… On the other hand, many retired and very rich former doctors who could have stayed safe volunteered to go back to the hospitals for free, to help their younger colleagues in need, and several died.Continue reading“My COVID-19 Firestorm Experience in Italy, by Z.”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;

(As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)

And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,

Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” – Luke 2:15-32 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — December 25, 2021

To those who are celebrating the Advent of our Lord and Savior, the team at SurvivalBlog wishes you a peaceful and meaningful Christmas. For those who choose to celebrate our Lord through the biblical feasts, stay safe out there during this holiday season. Our prayer is that each and every one of you enjoy the family time and stay safe on the roads.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 98 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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

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. A transferable $150 FRN 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!

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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 98 ends on January 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 Hornady Lock N Load AP Progressive Reloading Press – Part 2, by Wingfootjr

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

There are five available stations on the Lock N Load AP. For my initial setup, I set up the press for loading .223/ 5.56 ammo, my most commonly used practice and pleasure shooting caliber. I wanted a high production press dedicated to this caliber, so I could produce it quickly if need be. For this caliber, I start with brass cases that have been fully processed and ready to load. Cases have been de-primed, resized, tumbled (to clean, polish, and remove the sizing lubricant), case length checked and trimmed if necessary, and the primer pocket swaged to have the primer crimp removed. (If you are new to handloading, I describe the preparation process in my previous SurvivalBlog article series, “The Handloader Never Wants for Ammo”, and you can read the whole process that I use there).

In the 1st station, I install a resizing die with the decapping pin removed, with the die set just shy (1/4 of a turn) of bottoming out on the shell plate. This is done to ensure the case is precisely centered in the shell plate on the press for the next operation, the installation of the new primer. The decapping pin is removed since that has already been done, and the die is backed off a bit because the case has already been re-sized, or pressed back into the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturer’s Institute (SAAMI) standard cartridge tolerances.Continue reading“The Hornady Lock N Load AP Progressive Reloading Press – Part 2, by Wingfootjr”

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:

The weather deteriorated last week, so I had to do a lot more snowplowing. We had an unexpected water pipe leak, at a pipe union. There is nothing quite like digging a four-foot deep hole to repair a pipe when there is snow on the ground, and more snow falling. As my father used to say of such work:  “It builds character.” (Well, it either builds character or it empties a wallet very quickly.)

I’ve occupied myself with my normal writing and editing. I’m also developing a book proposal. This one will be non-fiction, on investing. We’ll see if that flies, when my agent pitches it to a publisher that I have in mind.

There are always lots of projects around the ranch each year, as winter sets in. Stock tank heaters and snow plowing are usually at the top of the list. Once in a while, I will accidentally leave water in a hose out at a stock tank, and I’ll have to bring it into the house, to thaw out. That sort of work is bothersome, but just a trifle.

Lily and I did some more manure hauling. This time of year, we do so with our heavy-duty black plastic utility sleds. They are quite stable when loaded, and the effort required is less than hauling manure with a wheelbarrow.

This coming week I plan to do some more woodsplitting. Because of some extensive travel this past summer and fall, a bit of this year’s firewood is still in rounds. I do all of my woodsplitting by hand. I don’t plan to buy a hydraulic woodsplitter until I’m elderly.  They are noisy, require fuel, and require maintenance. And with one surely I won’t get as much exercise. I just realized that by the time I’m in my late seventies, I’ll have grandsons that are in their late teens. Hmmmm… Maybe I’ll never have to buy a hydraulic woodsplitter.

Now, over to my lovely and industrious wife, Avalanche Lily…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” – Micah 5:1-2 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — December 24, 2021

On December 24, 1971, 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke was flying over the Peruvian rainforest with her mother when her plane was hit by lightning. She miraculously survived a two-mile fall, still strapped in her seat. She found herself alone in the jungle. After 10 days of walking out from the crash site, she was rescued by a group of rainforest loggers.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 98 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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

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. A transferable $150 FRN 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!

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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 98 ends on January 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 Hornady Lock N Load AP Progressive Reloading Press – Part 1, by Wingfootjr

This is a reader’s review of The Hornady Lock N Load AP progressive reloading press.

LEGAL DISCLAMER: I am not employed by, or financially reimbursed by any manufacturer I mention in this article. I am simply stating what I have found works for me. Your mileage may vary.

SAFETY DISCLAIMER: Always follow all handloading safety standard protocols and checks as outlined in a bullet manufacturer’s handloading manual. Know the proper aspects of all functions you are performing and if unsure, consult the manufacturer via email or other means of communication until you clearly understand the correct and proper method of performing that step. Read and ask, safety first always!

From what I recall my state was in the third week of the Covid 19 shutdown in March of 2020 and I was forced to work from home. In the evenings I was reading about past historical events, both worldwide and U.S. History and was concerned for a “storm on the horizon” triggering a series of unfortunate events for our Country. I was also uneasy about the upcoming political election, and well-remembered how the changing political winds affected the shooting sports industry in the aftermath of the 1992 election.

I was already a handloader and had been handloading for 26 years. I had the necessary component supplies to reload (powders, primers, bullets and empty casings) having been purchasing and scavenged in earnest since early November 2008. At the time my main press was a LEE Precision Turret press, which I had loaded several thousand rounds of ammunition with for both handgun and rifle. It is my favorite utility press for ease of operation and user-friendliness. But the Lee Turret requires 4 pulls of the handle to load a casing, and the potential of getting a loaded cartridge with every push/pull of the handle was very appealing. That capability, along with the mindset of having redundant production capabilities (as well as being bombarded with sales emails from various websites) made me make the choice of “pulling the trigger” (pun intended!) on the purchase of a progressive reloading press.

I had been contemplating a progressive reloading press and was considering three choices after viewing numerous videos of the presses in action from the manufacturer’s websites and on Youtube. My choices were:
1) The LEE Loadmaster, cost set up for 1 caliber: $350.00
2) The Hornady Lock N Load AP, Cost $529.00 + minor accessories $24.00
3) The Dillon Precision XL 750, cost $650.00 + accessories $500

I personally knew people who owned and used the Lee Loadmaster and Dillon Progressives. One gentleman I know owns nine Dillons has a reloading business and swears by them with good reason, they are the backbone of his business. The friend who owned the Lee Loadmaster had loaded over 10,000 rounds on it and recommended it. I had done some loading with him on it. It occasionally had some primer feeding quirks and some powder drop issues. But you will with any press now and then, it’s part of the game.

My final decision was to invest in the Hornady Lock N Load AP. At the time of purchase, the deal was sweetened with a 20% off sale price, plus a manufacturer’s coupon from Hornady offering 500 free* bullets with the purchase of the press. Getting 500 free bullets was a significant savings on top of the 20% sale price. Keep in mind, the caliber of bullet was the buyers’ choice, and heavier bullets cost more than lighter ones. To maximize my value of the offer I selected 150 grain, .30 caliber bullets (0.308 dia) which offered the most total weight for the offer of the calibers I load for. I mentioned “free” with an asterisk, since the receiver was required to pay shipping. In my case that was about $16. But the bullets had a retail value at the time of about $120, so with the offer figured with the deduct value of the bullets, included with the sale price purchase put the cost of the press at about $305. It was a good deal at the time, and would be a fantastic deal today, if this offer could be found.Continue reading“The Hornady Lock N Load AP Progressive Reloading Press – Part 1, by Wingfootjr”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

In place of my usual news items and commentary on economics and the markets, I have some annual housekeeping to do:

My Annual Financial/Investing/Foreign Interests Disclosures:

By Federal law, I am obliged to make the following annual public disclosures.

For the record: I am presently the sole author of SurvivalBlog’s twice-weekly posted Economics & Investing For Preppers column. I am not a paid investment counselor or adviser. Please see our Provisos page for our detailed disclaimers. My paid consulting is primarily on preparedness, relocation, retreat property development, and related topics–not on investing, per se.

Personal and Family Interests

My highest loyalty is to Christ Jesus (Yeshua.)

I am not a board member of any corporation. I hold no stocks, mutual funds, bonds, options, hedge instruments, registered securities, or ETFs whatsoever. I am not paid or otherwise compensated by any individual, company, or country to promote any investment vehicle or currency.

I do not recommend or endorse any financial particular investment advisor, firm, blog, vlog, or web site, although I do quote various advisors and make links to their web sites. Such mentions and links are my own choices, and are never compensated.

While I personally hold precious metals, firearms, ammunition, and other tangibles as a large portion of my family portfolio, I have no connection or financial arrangement with any firm, other than that some such firms do buy advertising space in SurvivalBlog, and that we have affiliate advertising contracts in place with others. I do on occasion personally make purchases from these companies. However, I receive no special discounts nor other consideration from them. Such advertising relationships have no bearing on the investing news that I report and the recommendations that I make.  I have never held any Forex or Comex options.

I own and operate Elk Creek Company, a small home-based mailorder business that sells antique guns, replica percussion guns, percussion cartridge conversion cylinders, knives, bayonets, and multitools. I have no contractual relationship with the makers of any of those products. My ownership of Elk Creek Company has no bearing on the investing news that I report and the recommendations that I make. From time to time, I mention sales and particular Elk Creek Company products in this column. Throughout my adult life, I have recommended investing in antique guns. Operating Elk Creek Company has not changed that. I held a Class 01 Federal Firearms license from 1981 to 1992. The merchandise that I now sell has no license required.

Along with one of my sons, I operate CFAPA.org, to distribute press credentials free of charge to adult citizens of the 50 States, as Citizen Journalists. We do accept donations, but in most years those donations barely cover the operating expenses of CFAPA.org.

Walls of Separation

We maintain walls of separation between advertising, consulting, and editorial realms. No editorial space or content in this column is ever promised to any advertiser or consulting client. Stephen Cochran of Gainseville Coins voluntarily writes a monthly precious metals column for SurvivalBlog, but he and Gainseville Coins are not compensated by me nor vice versa, in any way. I am afforded no discounts by the company, and have received no free merchandise or other favors from them.

A few article links have been suggested by our advertisers, but we have never been compensated or felt obliged to post them. Because of legacy links still in SurvivalBlog’s archives, I still earn a few small commissions on sales of books and other items linked to Amazon.com, through the Amazon Associates program. Because of their censorship and unfair business practices, I have publicly distanced myself from Amazon, and recommend that my readers and consulting clients buy from other vendors.

We universally reject the dozens of paid editorial, infographic, product review, and link placement requests that we receive every week via e-mail from spammers, scammers, SEO wonks, and content manipulators.

Foreign Interests

I am not now, nor have I ever been an agent of any foreign nation. I do hold some foreign currency. I own no foreign real estate. Only a few of my consulting clients live abroad, and most of those are U.S. citizens.

Clearances and Taskings

Up until 1991, I held a Top Secret security clearance and had access to SCI. I did some tasked intelligence work overseas. That ended before 1991. After being de-briefed from Special Access Programs (SAPs), I resigned my commission as a U.S. Army Intelligence Corps officer. My formal resignation letter was submitted on January 20, 1993 — the day that Bill Clinton first took office.  Since then, I have had no intelligence tasking nor relationship whatsoever with the U.S. government, the U.S. Army, or any government agencies, other than as a normal taxpaying citizen.

I have had no contact with the FBI or any other Federal law enforcement agency since the conclusion of a foreign intelligence penetration case in 1990, where I provided a signed statement as a witness.

I did work as defense contractor in a technical writing and proposal writing capacity for various defense contracting companies with an Industrial Secret clearance up until July, 2006. I no longer hold an active security clearance. I am a past member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO), but have had no contact with that organization since the mid-1990s.

Summary and Conclusion

In sum, we do our very best to operate SurvivalBlog.com as ethically and independently as possible. Our editorial integrity and independence is very important to us. We will never betray the trust of our readers. In an age where journalistic prostitution has become the norm in the blogging and vlogging world, we stand apart.

News Tips:

Please send your economics and investing news tips to JWR. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact form.) These are often especially relevant because they come from folks who closely watch specific markets. If you spot any news that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers, then please send it in. News items from local news outlets that are missed by the news wire services are especially appreciated. And it need not be only about commodities and precious metals. Thanks!

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Oh my name is Francis Tolliver, I come from Liverpool
Two years ago the war was waiting for me after school
From Belgium and to Flanders, Germany to here
I fought for King and country I love dear

Twas Christmas in the trenches and the frost so bitter hung
The frozen fields of France where still no Christmas songs were sung
Our families back in England were toasting us that day
There brave and glorious lads so far away

I was lying with my mess mates on the cold and rocky ground
When across the lines of battle came a most peculiar sound
Says I now listen up me boys, each soldier strained to hear
As one young German voice sang out so clear

He’s singing bloody well you know, my partner says to me
Soon one by one each German voice joined in in harmony
The cannons rested silent and the gas cloud rolled no more
As Christmas brought us respite from the war

As soon as they were finished and a reverent pause was spent
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen struck up some lads from Kent
The next thing sang was Stille Nacht tis ‘Silent Night’ says I
And in two tongues one song filled up that sky

There’s someone coming towards us now the front line sentry said
All sights were fixed on one lone figure trudging from their side
His truce flag like a Christmas Star shone on the plane so bright
As he bravely trudged unarmed into the night

Then one by one on either side, walked in to No Mans Land
With neither gun nor bayonet, we met there hand to hand
We shared some secret brandy and we wished each other well
And in a flare lit football game we gave them hell

We traded chocolates, cigarettes and photographs from home
These sons and father far away from families of their own
Tom Sanders played the squeeze box and they had a violin
This curious and unlikely band of men

Soon daylight stole upon us and France was France once more
With sad farewells we each began to settle back to war
But the question haunted every heart that lived that wondrous night
Whose family have I fixed within my sights

Twas Christmas in the trenches and the frost so bitter hung
The frozen fields of France were warmed, the songs of peace were sung
For the walls they’d kept between us to exact the work of war
Had been crumbled and were gone forever more

Oh my name is Francis Tolliver, from Liverpool I dwell
Each Christmas comes since World War I have learned its lesson well
For the one who calls the shots won’t be among the dead and lame
And on each end of the rifle we’re the same.”

– John McCutcheon – Christmas in the Trenches

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — December 23, 2021

December 23rd is the birthday of Founding Father and Supreme Court Justice John Jay. (Born 1745, died May 17, 1829.)

Today is also the anniversary of the establishment of the exclusive private banking cartel known as The Federal Reserve, in 1913. I recommend the book The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve.

—

A word of warning: A look at the Ventusky weather models shows that a polar vortex is likely to hit much of the interior of CONUS in the first week of January. Temperatures may be 20 degrees F. or more below normal.  So get ready!

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 98 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. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

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. A transferable $150 FRN 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!

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. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $100 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $725,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 98 ends on January 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.

A Scanner for TEOTWAWKI – Part 3, by Tunnel Rabbit

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.)

External Antennas, Detecting Potential threats at greater distances

When using a scanner to sweep the band, or scan a list of frequencies, the scanner is much more sensitive and hears weak signals as well as strong signals. When using the Close Call feature that also sweeps the band, only strong signals that are very nearby (within 100 to 200 yards), might be detected. Some brands of scanners other than Uniden, may also have a similar Close Call feature, and might have more a sensitive receiver Sofware Defined Radio (SDR) frequency counter or a better antenna so they could intercept traffic further away.

To greatly increase the possible range of detection of our Close Call feature, and that of the standard scanner, it should be connected to an exterior antenna that is mounted above the roofline and otherwise, as high above the ground as reasonably feasible. Watch out for power lines, and mount it preferably, at least 15 feet above the ground for the best reception at the lowest height. Remember that in the radio world, height is might. Cable loss will be higher with longer runs, but the height attained can more than offset that line loss. Those interested in the weakest signals could go all out and use LMR400 cable. Folks like myself can use cable TV antenna coax. There are coax connector adapters from ‘F’ type to BNC so that one can easily utilize this cable. Use one antenna per scanner, unless the proper splitter is used, and those splitters should not be the simple cable TV type.

Any antenna that is approximately 18 to 19.5 inches in length will work much better than the attached antenna, and it does not have to be tuned. But if it has a magnetic mount used for vehicles, then attach it to a large metal can, or best yet, a pizza pan, or other sheet metal of similar large size. This kind of antenna needs such a ground plane to operate at it’s best. A high gain dual banded UHF/VHF ground plane antenna can be purchased with an attached ground plane and the correct mounting hardware for building installations, will work even better.

My favorite homemade antenna is the Slim Jim, or lower-cost J-pole. These are ruggedly built and have a gain of about 2.1Dbi. Use one tuned for UHF with a center frequency of 465.000MHz to listen to both UHF and VHF, if only one antenna can be purchase. Use a second one with a center frequency of 149MHz to listen to the VHF band. These make good all-around antennas with a low signal-to-noise ratio.

If an external antenna is needed for a transmitter for 2 Meter, MURS, or GMRS, the scanner can be removed and a transceiver connected to the appropriate antenna. These can be purchased on the Internet from KB9VBR. The frequencies of most interest for preppers are in the UHF/VHF bands good all around, all band antenna made for scanners is the discone type, such as the Tram 1141.

Any external antenna is a game-changer. The Close Call feature, depending on the terrain and foliage, might now pick up 5 watt transmissions from a handheld up to a mile away, instead of only a few hundred feet. It would pick up traffic further away if the signal might be from a mobile transceiver on its highest power setting. That would typically be from 25 to 70 watts depending on the model. The Close Call feature requires a strong signal that exceeds its threshold before it will record the transmission. Putting it on an external antenna on it, greatly increases what the scanner, or any receiver can ‘hear’.

Uniden scanner’s Close Call feature, does provide an advantage, yet I would not rely upon it to hear the very low powered FRS/GMRS radios that transmit at a maximum of 1/4 watt. The Close Call feature could prove to be a lifesaver, however, as with most things, we should understand its limitations. Uniden scanners with the Close Call feature, can be programmed to cover only one, or the other band: either UHF, or VHF, but not both simultaneously. If possible, it would be good to have at least two Uniden scanners that have the Close Call feature, one for VHF, and one for UHF, each on their respective antennas for their band. If I could only have one, then it would be set to VHF frequencies, and I would use a standard scanner to scan a list that includes FRS/GMRS frequencies.Continue reading“A Scanner for TEOTWAWKI – Part 3, by Tunnel Rabbit”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, we look at the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Web Designer Learns Anti-Tank Tactics

Tim J. found this at Yahoo News, of all places: In east Ukraine, a web designer learns how to ambush a tank.  The article begins:

“Mykola Kholtobin never expected to volunteer to fight for Ukraine, but this week he found himself crouching in a fox hole and lobbing a mock grenade into a tank as part of a training exercise to prepare for a Russian invasion.

The 32-year-old web designer joined dozens of camouflage-clad reservists in the city of Kharkiv, about 25 km (15 miles) from the Russian border, to rehearse for what might happen in the event of an attack.

Kholtobin was just a baby when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and was brought up speaking Russian as his first language, like millions of others in the east of then-newly-independent Ukraine.

He consciously switched to Ukrainian in 2014 when Russia seized Ukraine’s Crimea region and Russian-backed separatists launched a war with government forces in eastern Ukraine that continues to this day.”

The Great California Egress

Reader C.B. sent this: Rate at which people stopped moving to California surprised researchers: ‘Statewide phenomenon’. JWR’s Comment: People have been voting with their feet for many centuries.

NYC to Restrict Some New Natural Gas Hookups

H.L. flagged this news article: New York will restrict gas for cooking and heating, paving the way for more cities to follow.  Here is an excerpt:

“The New York City Council passed a bill, which Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to sign into law, that prohibits the combustion of fossil fuels, namely gas, for cooking and heating in select new buildings. The ban will apply to new structures under seven stories tall starting in 2024 and to larger buildings in 2027.

New York is not alone. Berkeley, Calif., became the first city in the U.S. to ban gas hookups in new construction in 2019, and now at least 42 cities in California, including San Francisco and San Jose, have acted to limit gas in new buildings.”

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”