Privately-Owned Weapons in Modern Military Service

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Introductory Note:  This feature article that I’ve written is a bit unusual for SurvivalBlog.  I wrote it mostly out of my personal interest in military history. It only has limited practical application, but I’m sure that many readers will find it interesting. You will note that I’ve made it heavy on photographs, since those images often speak volumes, just by themselves.

There has been very little documented about privately-owned weapons used by members of modern military organizations. Regulations on Privately-Owned Weapons vary widely, but generally, they have grown more restrictive with the passage of time. Because of these regulations, personal memoirs often gloss over the possession of such weapons. But you often see them pop up in circulated photos taken in combat zones.

Up until the Spanish-American War, U.S. military officers and NCOs could carry whichever sidearm they chose. But increasingly, standardization became an issue–at least stateside. Overseas, in combat, things even today are still more freewheeling, especially at the sharp end. And there definitely seems to be a double standard for special operations forces. More recently, with the advent of private security contractors, some additional “gray areas” have developed.Continue reading“Privately-Owned Weapons in Modern Military Service”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

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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 La Niña winter Weather Pattern.

The India-China Border Standoff

Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: India-China border standoff has negated notions of ‘asymmetry in power’

Winter 2020/2021: La Niña Returns?

Reader C.B. sent this: La Nina forms in the Pacific – here’s what it means for hurricanes, wildfires. Here are the article’s opening paragraphs:

“A La Nina climate pattern has appeared in the Pacific Ocean, which could lead to an increase in activity during the ongoing Atlantic hurricane season and create conditions more prone to wildfires out West, forecasters say.

La Nina, Spanish for “little girl,” is a naturally occurring phenomenon in which sea surface temperatures across the central and eastern Pacific Ocean are cooler than average, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It’s the opposite of the warmer-than-average “El Nino” — and scientists believe this time the pattern will last through at least February.

“La Nina can contribute to an increase in Atlantic hurricane activity by weakening the wind shear over the Caribbean Sea and tropical Atlantic Basin, which enables storms to develop and intensify,” Mike Halpert, the deputy director of NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, said in a statement.”

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“There is no such thing, at this date of the world’s history, in America, as an independent press. You know it and I know it. There is not one of you who dares to write your honest opinions, and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in print. I am paid weekly for keeping my honest opinion out of the paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for similar things, and any of you who would be so foolish as to write honest opinions would be out on the streets looking for another job. If I allowed my honest opinions to appear in one issue of my paper, before twenty-four hours my occupation would be gone.
The business of the journalist is to destroy the truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, to fawn at the feet of mammon, and to sell his country and his race for his daily bread. You know it and I know it, and what folly is this toasting an independent press?
We are the tools and vessels of rich men behind the scenes. We are the jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes.” – John Swinton, a Scottish-born trade unionist and former writer for The New York Sun and The  New York Times, from a speech in 1880. As quoted in: Labor’s Untold Story, by Richard O. Boyer and Herbert M. Morais, published by United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America, New York, 1955.

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — September 16, 2020

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September 16th is the birthday of “Mad Jack” Churchill (1906-1996), who was a true eccentric. He went to war in WWII armed with a broadsword and a longbow. (The latter was successfully used to dispatch several German soldiers.) He later became a devoted surfer.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 90 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  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 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. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. 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).
  5. 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. 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.
  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 90 ends on September 30th, 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.

 

Composting Your Black Gold – Part 2, by Hobbit Farmer

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

After your pile is built you wait. The microbes do the work. One helpful tool in this part of the process is a compost thermometer that will probe temperatures 18”-24” into the pile. The internal temperature tells you what is going on inside the pile so you know when to turn the pile. We will only be turning the pile once.

CompostAs you can see this pile is cooking at around 140 degrees, which means my microbes are in turbo mode. You probably don’t want it much hotter than this. The lower portion of this pile is probably not that hot since the bottom of the pile is ~5 months old and has already decomposed quite a bit. If I were to insert a metal rod into this pile and pull it out after a minute, the end of the rod would be almost too hot to hold. This pile has been between 120-140 degrees for several months as I keep adding to it. This is why manure, weeds, and diseased plants can be put in compost. The heat, and beneficial microbes take over and wipe out most of the bad stuff. However, please use common sense, compost won’t kill everything, so don’t treat it like a hazmat disposal. If you know the material contains human or animal biohazard or a recurring soil disease/pest organism, find somewhere safe to dispose of it.

I checked the temperature about 6” from the edge of the pile on the same day in the same pile. The temperature was about 20 degrees cooler than the center, but that is still very warm. This means the material is decomposing all the way to the edge of the pile. This is why I used solid sides for my bins.

After I finish adding materials to a pile, I monitor the temperature of the pile. When the temperature drops to near ambient temperature I know the microbial processes are stabilizing and the pile is ready to turn. If you are not monitoring temperature actively you will want to wait 3-4 months from when you stopped adding materials to the pile. If the pile was finished in late fall, you will want to add a couple months since winter temperatures can slow the process down. The other major consideration while waiting for the pile to finish is moisture. If you live in a wet climate you may wait to cover your pile or build a roof over your bins. If the piles get soggy it will slow down the process, and might stink. If you live in an arid climate you may want to cover your pile to keep moisture in, and you will probably need to water your little microbe workers to keep them cranking away.

When the pile is ready to be turned, I take some of the sides off for easier access and fork the pile over into the adjacent bin, put the sides back on, and leave it for about three months. The pile will probably heat back up again due to all the extra oxygen, but will not get nearly as hot as the fresh materials did. After it cools, additional organisms that cannot survive the high heat of the initial pile will move in and help finish the pile (earthworms for example). It is important to allow time for this to happen.

You want a balanced finished compost. It is hard waiting for your first batch, but if you are always building new piles, you will be producing a continuous supply of compost. Some people advocate turning compost more often to speed up the process. It will certainly help break down the organic matter faster, but I expect there will be a tradeoff. If you are constantly turning your pile and keeping it in high heat mode, you will not get a balanced mix of microorganisms in your compost. Remember, we are trying to mimic the natural system which means a balanced mix of soil organisms. Most of them will not be present in a high heat environment.

CompostThis photo is of compost from a pile that is almost finished up. After the initial decomposition and turning it has compressed to half the initial volume. The compost has a fresh earthy smell, is moist and crumbles easily in your hand.Continue reading“Composting Your Black Gold – Part 2, by Hobbit Farmer”

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

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Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. The focus is usually on emergency communications gear, bug out bag gear, books, and movies–often with a tie-in to disaster preparedness, and links to “how-to” self-sufficiency videos. There are also links to sources for both storage food and storage containers. You will also note an emphasis on history books and historical movies. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This week the focus is on some important items for your medic bag that you might have overlooked.  (See the Gear & Grub section.)

Books:

Killing Crazy Horse: The Merciless Indian Wars in America (The latest in Bill O’Reilly’s outstanding book series)

o  o  o

This standard reference book has been in print since 1983, for good reason: Garden Way’s Joy of Gardening

o  o  o

The Big Book of Kombucha: Brewing, Flavoring, and Enjoying the Health Benefits of Fermented Tea

o  o  o

Phil Robertson’s latest book, released in August: Jesus Politics: How to Win Back the Soul of America

o  o  o

And a bit of shameless self-promotion: QUORUM RADIO: James Wesley, Rawles The Ultimate Preppers Survival Guide (Part I). And here is a link the shorter Part II of that interview. This will surely be the first of many interviews about my newest book. But rest assured that I won’t clutter the blog with links to most of these interviews.

Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — September 15, 2020

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On this day in 1944, the U.S. 1st Marine Division landed on the island of Peleliu, one of the Palau Islands in the Pacific, as part of a larger operation to provide support for Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who was preparing to invade the Philippines. Within one week of the invasion, the Marines lost 4,000 men. By the time it was all over, that number would surpass 9,000. The Japanese lost more than 13,000 men. Flamethrowers and bombs finally subdued the island for the Americans, but it all proved pointless. MacArthur invaded the Philippines without need of Army or Marine protection from either Peleliu or Morotai. The Peleliu campaign is very well documented from a first-hand perspective in the best-selling book With The Old Breed.

—

Here’s a new Colorado listing. over at my #1 Son’s SurvivalRealty.com: Beautifully Finished Solar Home on 40 Acres

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 90 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  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 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. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. 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).
  5. 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. 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.
  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 90 ends on September 30th, 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.

Composting Your Black Gold – Part 1, by Hobbit Farmer

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Composting: Microbes, Black Gold, and Growing the Best Food

A search of the SurvivalBlog archives will uncover pages and pages of articles mentioning compost and its value in gardening. However, if there was a startup composting guide I missed it. If you are an experienced composter hopefully you can still learn from this article, but everything here will be geared toward someone just starting out. Be warned I don’t use a sophisticated “fast” method. I work with God’s design, and let the microbes do the work. Well-balanced compost takes time–8-to-12 months with this method. This means you need to start a pile now, in order to have it when you need it to grow food. I’ve been running a variety of composting experiments over the past five years and am very happy with my results.

Here is what we are going to cover:

  • Nature’s Fertilizer: What compost is, how compost mimics nature, and why it is so good for plants.
  • Building Your Bin: How I built my bins, and suggestions for low cost bin systems.
  • Managing the Pile: How to build your pile, manage your pile efficiently, and source materials for your pile.
  • Using Compost: Recommendations for using compost in your garden for best results.
Nature’s Fertilizer

Most of you probably already know what compost is, or even if you don’t you’ve already experienced it first hand. Compost is simply organic matter that has decayed. If you have ever dug into the leaves during a hike in the woods and turned up the rich dark layer of earth underneath, that is compost and plants LOVE it! In nature compost is formed through 2 main natural processes: the aerobic process (no exercise required) in which oxygen is present and microbes break down the materials producing heat as a byproduct, and the anaerobic process which takes place in low oxygen environments and the material is broken down by fungal colonies. This article will focus on the aerobic method, which is the faster of the two and more common in gardening use.

The two main components of fertile soil are humus (dead organic matter), and rock particles. In the natural world leaves and dead plants accumulate on the surface of the soil and are slowly broken down by the bacteria, fungi, and soil organisms. This creates an upper layer of organic matter (humus) that has many benefits for the soil. The biological life in the soil is supported by this organic matter and a myriad of biological and chemical processes are triggered by this diversity of life and unlocking the nutrients in the soil. Just as bacteria play an important role in our own digestive processes, they also makes nutrients available for plants. Dumping fertilizer may work short term, but it will not improve the biology of the soil and may harm it long term. This means many of the micronutrients plants need to thrive will be absent because you have not cultivated the life of the soil. The result is weaker plants, and more disease and pest pressure (not to mention where will you get fertilizer if the supply chain breaks down?)Continue reading“Composting Your Black Gold – Part 1, by Hobbit Farmer”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on the conflagration in Malden, Washington.. (See the Idaho section.)

Idaho

Archery hunters attacked by grizzly bear in Idaho. JWR’s Comment: In bear country, I recommend carrying both pepper spray and lead spray!

o  o  o

Over at Redoubt News: Todd Engel Update – Feds File to Dismiss with Prejudice! Here is an excerpt from the article:

“Recently, Engel’s appellate attorney, Warren Markowitz, successfully argued this case in front of the 9th circuit court of appeals. The judges ruled to vacate the conviction of Todd Engel and sent the case back to Nevada for either release or a new trial.

Now, the prosecution team has filed to have the charges against Engel dismissed with prejudice, meaning that Engel would be released with no chance of being retried on these charges. Judge Navarro is expected to sign the motion within the next couple of days.”

o  o  o

Here’s what we know about Idaho’s 407 coronavirus deaths (Sept. 10). JWR’s Comment: For comparison, consider Alameda County, California, with a population about the same size as Idaho. (1.7 million people.) To date, that county has had 303 deaths, despite draconian lockdown measures, including banning church gatherings, and the closure of most stores. Why is it, that with all their strict rules that they haven’t been able to flatten the curve, while Idaho has?  It is all about population density.  Avoid crowds, folks!

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

Work Sharp Bench Stone, by Pat Cascio

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I’ve been around knives all my life – ever since owning my first one, at about age 5 or 6. So I know a little bit about cutlery. Over the past 28 years, I’ve been fortunate enough to test hundreds of new knife designs — and perhaps more than a thousand new designs. I’ve lost count. It’s exciting to get new knife designs to test and write about – no doubt about that. And, just when I think I’ve seen it all, when it comes to cutlery, someone comes out with a new design, or new locking mechanism, or new blade design. I’m an amateur knife designer myself – well, I guess that’s what I’d be called, even though several of my knife designs have gone into production with some major knife companies. Still, I consider myself an amateur in this regard – I’ll certainly never get rich off my designs.

One of the most asked questions I get from readers, or those who know my martial arts/military/law enforcement background is: “What’s your favorite knife?” Of course, this is impossible to answer in simple terms. It just depends on what the knife will be used for…be it in hunting and dressing game, self-defense, general cutting, etc. The second most common question that I get is: “How do you put a factory edge back on a knife blade, after it gets dull?” Again, a not-so-easy to answer. I’ve watched the pros at several knife companies who do nothing but sharpen knives on their 8-hour shift. And, it never ceases to amaze me how fast they can put an edge on an unsharpened knife. Most of the time, primarily using a specialized power belt sharpener it takes little more than a minute to do this.

These guys who sharpen cutlery for a living sit at two machines, one has an abrasive belt on it, for getting the primary edge put on a knife, and the second, has a buffer on it, for putting the finishing touches on a blade, so it is hair-popping sharp out of the box. Then, they have a stack of old newspapers, that they use to test the sharpness on a blade – they slice the edge of the newsprint, and if it doesn’t “shave” they run it back across the buffer. Like I said, this is all these guys do – all day long – and they are the best at it. So, if you want that “factory” edge on your blade, you’d best get some training, and have the right tools – power tools.Continue reading“Work Sharp Bench Stone, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Roast Leg of Venison

The following recipe for Roast Leg of Venison 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 will be one of the many bonus items included in the next edition of the waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick. This special 15th Anniversary Edition USB stick should be available for sale in the third week of January, 2021. The 14th Edition sold out quickly, so place a reminder in your calendar, if you want one.

Ingredients
  • Leg of venison
  • Fat salt pork
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup butter or butter substitute or oil
  • Flour
Directions

Wipe carefully, and draw off the dry skin. Lard the lean side of the leg with strips of the pork, then soften the butter or butter substitute oi oil, rub it over the meat, and dredge with salt, pepper and flour. Lay the leg on the rack in a baking-pan, sprinkle the bottom of the pan with flour. Place it in a very hot oven, and watch carefully until the flour in the pan is browned, which should be in five minutes. Add boiling water to cover the bottom of the pan. Baste the venison well every flfteen minutes, until the meat is done, renewing the water in the pan as often as necessary. If a double roasting-pan is used, then basting is not necessary.

Should the meat be liked very rare, allow one and one-quarter hour of cooking for a ten-pound roast; most tastes require at least twenty-five minutes longer than that.

SERVING

Serve with a gravy made from the juices in the bottom of the pan. Always serve a tart jelly — like currant jelly or wild grape or plum jelly with venison.

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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

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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 an anticipated price swing in vintage Rolex wristwatches. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold Price Forecast: Gold Targets $1700 In September.  JWR’s Comment:  Take advantage of this dip. And note that there is still an opportunity to advantageously ratio trade some of your gold into silver and/or platinum.

o  o  o

With some charts, Hub Moolman illustrates how we are still early in a silver bull market: Get the big prize for silver

Economy & Finance:

Over at The Hill: US budget deficit hits record $3 trillion: CBO

o  o  o

By way of Whatfinger.com, here is a piece at the Gatestone site: China Threatens Total Economic War by Dumping Treasuries: Be My Guest

o  o  o

At Wolf Street: The Fed Bought No Bond ETFs in August. ETF Holdings Actually Fell. Bought Almost No Corporate Bonds

o  o  o

And, Unemployment Crisis Going in Wrong Direction: Week 25 of U.S. Labor Market Collapse

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”