Preparedness Notes for Thursday — September 2, 2021

September 2, 1969 is the day that the first automatic teller machine (ATM) made its first public debut, dispensing cash to customers at Chemical Bank in Rockville Center, New York. While being as indispensable to most people as cell phones and e-mail, they have introduced a whole new set of issues. Consumers are faced with scams, skimmers, and robbers, and even fake ATMs have been discovered.

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A Reminder: The Paratus Holiday for preppers is observed on the Third Friday in September. This year, that falls on September 17th.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 96 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. 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.

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!

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More than $700,000 worth of prizes have been awarded, since we started running this contest. Round 96 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.

Food Storage: Prepping by the Numbers, by R.M.

Some years ago, I felt the need to begin prepping and I wondered how my skill set would be beneficial during a Schumer Hits The Fan (SHTF) situation. For a long time, I felt as if I had nothing to offer. You see I am a bookkeeper, and I was sure that practically everyone would have skills more preferable than mine. I mean after all, when you’re lost in the woods with nothing to eat, what good is a bookkeeper? I guess you could count the days until you starve to death.

I was a soldier many years ago and during my tenure in the Army I had two jobs. For the first couple of years, I was an Infantry Soldier and for the last two years I was a Logistics Clerk. This is where I realized what my true skill set is, organization. Fast forward about 30 years to the time in my life where I have made the decision to prep. I feel that it is my responsibility as a father and husband to be prepared for my family’s sake. The last thing that I would want is for my family to suffer needlessly during some SHTF situation. Especially if I had the opportunity to prepare beforehand. So, I began talking to extended family members about prepping and various SHTF scenarios. Basically, I received the same response from everyone. Prepping is crazy because it is impossible to store enough food, water, ammo, and anything else that you may need for a SHTF situation. Also, the scenarios that I had presented, namely a nuclear attack, they stated are not survivable. So, undaunted by the pessimism, my bookkeeper skills kicked in.

You see a great bookkeeper is great at a few things. These skills include organization, numerical analysis, and research. As I began my research, I had discovered that a nuclear attack, and many other SHTF scenarios, are very much survivable. As a matter of fact, if a nuclear weapon is ever detonated on American soil, more Americans will die from ignorance than those that will die as a result of the explosion. All that it takes is a little preparation beforehand. My research also uncovered much more. Food can be stored for long periods of time. There are various ways to collect, purify and store water. How to make a plan for various SHTF scenarios and the importance of many otherwise unthought-of aspects of the plan such as “OpSec”, “Gray Man”, etc.

The next thing I learned was that the first thing to do in preparation is to plan. Planning means that you carefully consider all of the information uncovered in your research, assess your needs, make a decision on what you feel you need to plan for and how much you want to prepare. Afterward, you must reduce your needs to a number and then create a budget on how to meet the need. This is true with many, if not all, aspects of your preps. Whether it’s food, water, ammo, or something else, it doesn’t matter. You must determine what you need and then develop a plan.Continue reading“Food Storage: Prepping by the Numbers, by R.M.”

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, more about pandemics.

Explosive Growth in Homeschooling

Over at Just The News: Homeschooled children increased from 13K in 1973 to 5M in 2020, report finds

Video:  A Guerilla Grazer

My wife Lily echoed a blog reader, when she recommended this YouTube video: Went homeless. Done Guerrilla Grazing by choice ever since.

No-Till Farming Can Cut Herbicide Use, Control Weeds

From frequent link contributor C.B.: No-till production farmers can cut herbicide use, control weeds, protect profits. An excerpt from the PHYS.ORG article:

“Farmers using no-till production—in which soil never or rarely is plowed or disturbed—can reduce herbicide use and still maintain crop yields by implementing integrated weed-management methods, according to a new study conducted by Penn State researchers.

While agriculture can conserve soil and energy, it relies primarily on herbicides for weed control and to terminate cover crops and perennial crops, noted the study’s lead author, Heather Karsten, associate professor of crop production/ecology. When farmers are no longer using tillage to disrupt weed growth, they typically use more herbicides to control weeds.

‘Farmers are particularly reliant on a few common herbicides for no-till production of corn and soybeans, such as glyphosate, which has resulted in the evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds that are now very problematic,” she said. “With more than 65% of agronomic crops under no-till production in Pennsylvania, those weeds are spreading, reducing crop yields and becoming very difficult to control.'”

California: Curtailing Solar Power & Building Natural Gas Plants

This comes to us by way of the highly recommended Your Daily G2 e-newsletter (published by Mcalvanyica.com): California: Curtailing Solar Power & Building Natural Gas Plants… Because…

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“There’s one thing you can say for totalitarianism: the coolest people will all be Outlaws.

They’ll import and export goods without government controls. They’ll provide free-market services. They’ll operate free communication networks. They’ll make unregulated products and sell them in unregulated ways. They’ll barter, use cash, use gold or silver, develop and use new forms of cryptocurrencies.

It’ll be just like Libertopia. Except, you know, with the ever-present threat of death or long, harsh imprisonment. But that’s what Outlaws are about.

Since totalitarianism is the direction we’re going, hey we might as well enjoy a few silver linings.”  – Claire Wolfe

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — September 1, 2021

September is Kilted to Kick Cancer Month. September is also National Preparedness Month.

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There is just one week left to comment on the ATF’s proposed “pistol stabilizing braces” rule. If codified, this rule might make as many as one million American gun owners into unwitting felons. Please post your well-reasoned and polite comment, soon! The deadline is midnight on September 8, 2021.

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I have put Elk Creek Company on another ordering hiatus, for the month of September, 2021. I’m now traveling, and gathering more inventory. I plan to reactivate our shopping cart system on September 29th. (Mark your calendar.) Thanks for your patience. – JWR

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 96 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. 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.

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!

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Round 96 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.

Cleaning Mauser Rifle Bolts, by The Novice

The Bolt Action Rifle

In 1836, Johann Nikolaus von Dreyse introduced the first successful bolt action rifle, the needle rifle, using paper cartridges. By the mid 1850s, bolt action rifles using metallic, centerfire cartridges were introduced. These, in turn, lead to iconic designs like the 1891 Mosin Nagant, the Lee-Enfield, Mauser bolt actions, and the 1903 Springfield. Among their many advantages, bolt actions tend to be strong, reliable, fast to operate, and easily-maintained.

Cleaning the Bolt

Over the course of time, a combination of lint, powder and primer residue, dirt, oil, and condensation can collect in the interior of a rifle bolt. When enough of this gunk collects, it can impede the forward motion of the firing pin, particularly under cold weather conditions. This can prevent the rifle from firing when the trigger is pulled.

To avoid this malfunction, the bolt should periodically be disassembled and cleaned. With most Mauser, Remington, Springfield 1903, Winchester, and similar bolt action rifles, the bolt can be effectively disassembled and cleaned by the owner. Some other brands, like Savage, tend to be more complicated, and may require the attention of a gunsmith.

My first experience with disassembling and cleaning a rifle bolt came when I acquired an M1893 Spanish Mauser. My experience may be a fairly typical representation of what is involved in this process.

The M1893-SeRies Spanish Mauser

I had always wanted to own a bolt action rifle, but had somehow never gotten around to it until recently. With the help of the Elk Creek Company, I acquired a Mauser Model M1893. I have been having great fun testing the rifle, and plan to submit a more extensive range report to SurvivalBlog in the near future.

As I was familiarizing myself with the rifle, I noticed that the safety was quite difficult to operate. I wondered if this might be due to dirt and other grit that had collected inside of the bolt body. With that in mind, I searched the Internet for information on how to disassemble and clean the bolt of a Model 1893-94-95-96 Mauser. The same instructions apply to Model 1916 Spanish Mausers. I found several very helpful YouTube videos:

Continue reading“Cleaning Mauser Rifle Bolts, by The Novice”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly column is a collection of short snippets: practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. We may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

To begin, reader H.L. sent this: With the lights off, food spoiling, gas pumps out of order, New Orleans faces an extended power failure. JWR’s Comment:  It is an interesting coincidence that Hurricane Ida made landfall 16 years to the day that Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans.

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Readers J&M wrote:

“My son is nearing the end of his military enlistment, and is desperate to avoid the Jab, for religious reasons. Because he received vaccinations when he enlisted, claiming a religious exemption will be difficult.
Pfizer and Moderna uses tissue from fetal cell lines, while J&J uses actual aborted fetus tissue. While Pfizer and Moderna have received approval from some religious groups because they onlyused fetal tissue cell lines for vaccine production derived from two abortions, performed in 1975 and 1985. Does this make the Pfizer and Moderna less evil than the J&J?  I do NOT believe it does. 
https://www.health.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/COVID%20Vaccine%20Page/COVID-19_Vaccine_Fetal_Cell_Handout.pdf
It’s pointed out that many modern vaccines are derived from these fetal tissue cell lines, but I would argue that taking a vaccine when you are unaware of the aborted baby connection may not be sinful, whereas taking a vaccine when you are informed and conscious of the abortion connection is.  The Pfizer jab just received FDA approval, so now it is mandated by the DOD.
My son has stated he will NOT get the vaccine, even if it means losing all of his benefits, GI Bill, and receiving a less than Honorable discharge. He expects to be subject to court martial as well. He only has about 6 months left on his 5-year enlistment, and losing his GI Bill and Honorable Discharge will be a big blow. But he knows this is mark of the beast, and he will not lose his salvation for earthly gains.
He says there are many, many fellow service members that are adamant about not getting the jab, but I fear many will cave, when faced with UCMJ prosecution.
Please, if any of you or any of the SB community has any useful arguments, info or resources, our family would be forever grateful. God Bless you for everything you do.”

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Readers S&T offered this link, regarding vaccination exemptions:

Greetings,
Have you all seen the information at ‘thehealthyamerican.org‘? It has been very helpful to us and maybe to your other readers as well. Do check it out. Thank you for all you do.

o  o  o

The latest on Lanternfly: Northeast residents told to destroy invasive insect.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Cartridge firearms are compact vehicles for change that have shaped modern history. The righteousness of their use is entirely up to their users, since like any other tool they can be used both for good or for ill.  A firearm is just a tool with no volition. A rifle is no different than a claw hammer. To wit: A hammer can be used to build a house, or it can be used to bash in someone’s skull—the choice of uses is entirely up to the owner.  A bulldozer can used to build roads, or to destroy houses. A rifle can be used to drill holes in paper targets, or to dispatch a marauding bear, or to murder your fellow man. Again, the choice of uses is entirely up to the user.” – James Wesley, Rawles

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — August 31, 2021

On August 31st, 1992 Randy Weaver surrendered to the Federal Authorities, ending the 10-day siege on Ruby Ridge. This is the incident that preceded the Waco siege and is known for the unconstitutional rules of engagement and overzealous actions by the jackbooted thugs of the federal authorities that resulted in the death of two innocent people– Sammy and Vicki Weaver, Randy’s son and wife. It is notable that Randy was acquitted of all charges except missing a court date and violating bail conditions on an ATF sting operation where it is suspected that Mr. Weaver did nothing wrong but that the ATF informant altered the shotguns sold to him by Weaver resulting in Weaver’s arrest. In addition, the missed court date was due to clerical errors on behalf of the court. All involved Federal agencies were publicly reprimanded, and the state of Idaho attempted to press charges against some individuals for their actions but were stymied due to federal interference.

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I was alerted to a new listing on SurvivalRealty: It is a secluded 53.4-acre property in North Central Pennsylvania’s Tioga area. It has a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home with a basement. The nearest town is Mansfield. It has great hunting and an established garden, fruit trees, nut trees, and berries. It looks retreat-worthy.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 96 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. 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.

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!

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Round 96 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.

August 2021 in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover gold’s performance, and the factors that affected gold prices.

What Did Gold Do in August?

Gold held above the $1,800 mark to start August, until an unexpectedly bullish Non-Farm Payrolls report on Friday the 6th and an orchestrated flash crash on Monday the 9th combined to send gold down almost $100. Gold prices slowly ground higher as the month went on. $1,750 was reached, then $1,780 later on.

Gold got a $25 boost on Monday the 23rd, which propelled it back above $1,800. Profit-taking on the 25th brought prices down nearly $15, setting up a battle in the $1,790–$1,800 range.

Gold ended the last full week of August with a solid $24 gain on Friday the 27th. This propelled prices to $1,819 an ounce. Silver gained 51 cents the same session, to close above $24 an ounce for the first time since the flash crash in precious metals on August 9th.

This late jump in prices was thanks to Fed Chairman Jerome POWELL indicating that they would start tapering the world’s largest monthly bond buying program by the end of the year, but that it would be a gradual process.

Factors Affecting Gold This Month


US ECONOMIC RECOVERY
A usually dull August was shaken up early, when a blowout Non-Farm Payrolls report was released on the 6th. 943,000 new jobs were created in July, and the unemployment rate fell to 5.4% from 5.9%. This was far beyond what anyone expected. The huge numbers were seen as putting heavy pressure on the Fed to taper quickly.

Consumer inflation was a big surprise to the upside once again in August. The CPI rose 0.5% over last month, and 5.4% on an annual basis. Inflation has been over the Fed’s 2% target since March, and over 5% since May.

The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index hit a 30-year high of 4.2%. The PCE is the Fed’s preferred gauge of consumer inflation. Many market watchers consider this as fulfilling Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s “above 2% for an extended time” condition for tapering QE.

Wholesale inflation as measured by the Producer Price Index hit a new high on an annual basis, showing an acceleration of 7.8% to the cost of manufacturing goods. This follows the gain of 7.3% the previous month, which was a new record high itself.Continue reading“August 2021 in Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

Today we are presenting a special edition of this column, highlighting woodworking companies, all around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Pictured is a set of custom cabinets by Hughes Woodworks in Huson, Montana.

Idaho

In Boise: Idaho Custom Woodwork is a custom-made furniture and full-service repair and restoration shop that specializes in “…all types of furniture repair and total antique restoration. We specialize in building outdoor and indoor furniture, Farmhouse style, live wood edge, live edge river tables and modern.”

o  o  o

In Coeur d’Alene: The Joinery Custom Cabinetmakers crafts high-end custom cabinets.

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In Pocatello: Idaho Reclaimed Lumber. Tyler Jenkins founded Idaho Reclaimed Lumber (formerly Wildwood Creations) in 1999. It all started with building custom log beds and décor to help pay his way through college at Idaho State University.  He now offers all types of building materials, all from recycled lumber… and the best part is that it is all truly “Made in the U.S.A.”. With well over a decade of extensive experience in the building industry, Tyler brings a wealth of information and skills. He has completed numerous projects — both high-end residential and commercial.

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

Preparedness Notes for Monday — August 30, 2021

Farewell, Mel:  I just heard from a good friend that my old gunsmith Mel Doyle of Plummer, Idaho went home to the Lord, on Sunday. He and Hazel (his wife) both contracted COVID-19 last week and ended up in Clearwater Valley Hospital. Mel will be greatly missed. I still own several guns that Mel had blued for me. They will be treasured keepsakes that will serve as reminders of a true American Patriot.

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In 1862, the Second Battle of Bull Run in Virginia began — as wall as the establishment of the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

August 30th is the birthday of the late Joachim Rønneberg, a hero of the Norwegian resistance during World War II. He was born in 1919. His exploits earned him the War Cross With Sword, Norway’s highest military honor. In April 2013, Rønneberg was presented with a Union Jack during a ceremony at the Special Operations Executive (SOE) monument in London to mark 70 years since the successful Gunnerside heavy water plant sabotage mission. Rønneberg died in 2018, just one year short of his 100th birthday.

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Three new listings that are in or near The American Redoubt, over at my #1 Son’s SurvivalRealty.com site:

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Today we present another review written by our Field Gear Editor, Pat Cascio.

Some Poncho Options, by Pat Cascio

A poncho is something so simple and inexpensive, yet it can save your life. I don’t suppose anyone really knows when the poncho was invented, but it has been around for a lot of years. Prior to the poncho, at least here in the USA West, cowboys and ranchers wore a “slicker” when it was raining. It was nothing more than a long coat, usually heavy canvas duck material, that was impregnated with something like beeswax or similar waterproofing material, that repelled the rain. The only thing was, your lower body still got pretty wet when riding a horse.

In the First World War, our troops wore ponchos in the trenches in France, but they didn’t do a lot of good, when our boys were in the trenches, with mud and water up to their knees, and even higher. In Vietnam, the monsoon rains drenched our soldiers, even when they wore a poncho. So, there is no really great solution to staying dry – for the most part.

On Patrol

Allow me to digress a little bit: Back in 1979, I worked as a K-9 handler, and our job was to patrol around a nuke plant – no longer there. We patrolled from sunset, until sunrise – usually a good 12-hour shift, not counting the drive there and back home – which was about an hour each way. And, of course, kenneling our dogs and caring for them at the end of the day. I took this job in early Fall, and that’s about the time the heavy rains would begin. Newly married, we didn’t have a lot of money, however, back then, I was getting paid $10.00 per hour – that was triple the minimum wage. After a few nights of getting drenched and shivering, I bought a rain suit, to go over my insulated coveralls. Thought I had the rains beat. Nope!

The rain suit – pants and hooded jacket – kept me dry – on the outside. However, my body would sweat, causing me to get drenched on the inside – it was a no-win situation – even my feet got wet on the inside of my government issue rubber boots. Plus, to top it off, we had Dobermans as our partners, and they are short-haired dogs, and about halfway through the night’s shift, they would start shivering and there was no way to keep them warm and dry. I felt bad for my dog. They couldn’t wait to get kenneled, so they could eat, drink and crawl into their protected enclosure and get dry.

For some stupid reason, I never thought about buying a US military poncho, even though I used one heavily, when stationed at Ft. Lewis, Washington for my Infantry school in 1969 – and anyone knows it rains a lot in the Pacific Northwest. Yes, your lower legs and feet would get wet – when not wearing overshoes, but the rest of your body mostly stayed dry if you didn’t do a klutzy tumble.Continue reading“Some Poncho Options, by Pat Cascio”