The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

…Rabbit Inexpensive low tech night vision for critters, $35.00. \ As tested, good for 75 yards +. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K4ZNQR8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Clamps light to scope if no rail. $8 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06VT3NXNW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 skepticcal and practical Muddykid, I am with you on this one. I called BS on the first time tag draw. Plus he has to wait until November to use it. That is a long lead time for a meat shortage now. Victor K. Polk Do not know about elsewhere but here in Pennsylvania anybody with 20 acres has beef out back. People do not realize that a lot of beef is grass raised by families, sent to auction then fattened up for the the slaughter house. There are small family owned butcher shops that can take care of that beef. Contact a family and purchase a side or a quarter. Same with pigs, lamb and goat. Quit depending on the news, the government,…




Simple Heat Treating for a High Carbon Steel Knife Blade – Part 1, by Steve A.

…replied if your daughter would have asked her to explain what the Gettysburg address meant when it said: “…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” How could they have a new birth of freedom after telling the entire South that they had no right to have a government of their people, by their people, and for their people? I’ve yet to hear a rational explanation from anyone to answer the question. Thanks for sharing the story. Once a Marine… A civil response, Seymour. I so appreciate how we treat each other on this site. Carry on Once a Marine… I, too, am an early Rush adopter. Sometime in the 80s, I reckon. I hope he has a peaceful death. Carry on Lostonthemountain To St Funogas Check the youtube…




The Illogical “In Common Use” Legal Standard

…in 1937, militias did not issue shotguns with barrels measuring less than 18 inches, so, therefore, Mr. Miller’s constitutional rights were not infringed by the National Firearms Act of 1934. That was a specious argument. Instead of addressing the constitutional issue squarely, they deflected off into “in common use” semantics. The Miller decision was bad law, and more recently the Supreme Court has compounded the Miller decision’s error, by echoing it in the Heller ruling. Heller’s “in common use” test has been debated by legal scholars for the past 12 years. A piece authored by Nicholas J. Johnson published in Harvard Law and Policy Review is fairly typical. But both the Supreme Court and later analysts have overlooked a key logical flaw in this standard. The flaw is this: The “In Common Use” standard ignores the potential common use by the citizenry that failed to develop because of previously-enacted unconstitutional…




Avoiding Prepping Tunnel Vision – Part 1, by T.Z.

…University Applied Research Laboratory employed generating scary numbers with no reference point for probably decades. The interesting thing in that case was that they actually had the data to generate reference points and track long term trends and they never to my observation presented them. If they had, they might not have kept their funding. JBH Nothing new. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/34764-the-whole-aim-of-practical-politics-is-to-keep-the Tom in Oregon Recalling situations where we’ve been inconvienced has caused some height here too. I now have 3 or 4 of some things. Manual can opener? 3. Some stuff may seem dumb or unnecessary at first, but then that time comes and you uses it. Kinda handy. And oftentimes, not very expensive. (Dollar store anyone?) Accessory items. Spot on! I’ve taken to scrolling down when buying online for the “customers who bought this, also bought that” or looked at, or compared to. Another thing that helps me stop and think,…




How to Prepare When You’re The Only One- Part 1, by Patriotman

…- Housing, food, utilities, taxes, insurance, etc). If you’ve done that, give yourself a realistic deadline of when you will move to your own place. If possible buy, don’t rent. Everyone starts by walking, before your run – but start. I agree with others about OPSEC. ‘Nuff said. When people say, “we don’t need to prep, we’re coming to your place” TOUGH LOVE is required. Respond, “while I love you, and want you to do well, you need to do for yourself first. You’re welcome to come, but if you come, bring your own food, firearms, ammo, SKILLS, clothes, meds, fitness, cleaning supplies, work ethic, etc, otherwise, you will not be welcome & WILL be turned away. “We won’t be providing anything, except emergency shelter, community, and guidance. I have a list of the bare minimum you will be required to bring with you, and an equal amount for each…




Choosing a Practical Antique Rifle – Part 4, by Tunnel Rabbit

…200-grain Nosler Partition out of a .30-06. If we are going to push the limits with 6.5×55, use a premium bullet, or an inexpensive round-nosed Remington Core-lokt. 6.5×55 is a solid long-range deer rifle, but if elk is on the menu, then extra effort and attention to detail is advised. For very long-range shots on deer, the 140-to-143 grain Hornady A-max or ELD-X bullets are some of the best choices. For ranges inside of 300, the 140 grain SST, and Interlocks, and any standard and inexpensive cup and core bullet is a better choice. Nosler Ballistic Tips are similar. 7mm Mauser (7×57) Beware that commercial ammunition is not held to strict standards and some commercial ammunition is too high in pressure for antique 7x57mm Mausers. I advise all readers to contact the ammunition manufacturer directly to obtain factory pressures for a particular ammunition type before testing it in your rifle….




Building Hippie Earth Lodges, by Valerie

…plants well above freezing even when the outdoor temperature is 14 degrees Fahrenheit. With the coming GSM, these kinds of systems (for living, for growing food) will become increasingly important. From the post: “It is amazing how a world without televisions, phones, radios, (and now computers) builds relationships between people.” As wonderful as the digital age is, it’s also important to “un-plug” and truly be in relationship with one another. JE A friend and her family lived in a ‘soddy’ that was partially built into a knoll. It had been in their family for 50 years and was comfortable. Enough, so that the kids would move back into it in the summer, after the family finally built a stick built ranch house in the 1950’s. The parents really liked the indoor plumbing of the new house, the kids, being kids, didn’t really care. If it’s old enough, it’s new again….




Learning Prepper and Barter Skills at Your Local Dump, by Neil J.

…being a resident of the city and to purchase a twenty dollar yearly pass to the recycle center. Dropping off household appliances and tires had extra fees on top of the yearly pass. The pass included free mulch and sometimes top soil. [JWR Adds: Consult your local laws and landfill rules. Be advised that because of their well-justified fear of liability lawsuits, many municipal dumps and contracted commercial dumps now have “no scavenging” policies.] There is a social community at the dump and you would never believe it unless you have experienced it. During my time spent as the dump supervisor for my local town, I interacted with many people that were involved with the unique subculture of the recycle center. I would like to give the readers some suggestions what might go a long way in the type of treatment and service you receive. This helps in order to…




Editors’ Prepping Progress

…pounds. I carefully positioned it at the hole and parked one of our quads at the far side. Taking my commands, our #2 Daughter controlled the quad’s winch to angle up the post, while Lily and I gingerly raised and guided the post and dropped it into the hole. It dropped in with a satisfying “Thump!” These new larger-diameter posts should last at least 20 years, even in our valley’s wet microclimate. Later in the week, after a two-hour hike up a mountain into the National Forest, Lily helped me re-hang a 16-foot heavy-duty tube gate that had been dragging. Just another day on the ranch. Now, over to Lily. Avalanche Lily Reports: Dear Readers, The weather this week was very trying. Early in the week we had a three-inch snowstorm, then a lot of rain and snow showers. The temperatures were quite cold. One day we had rain and…




Medical Action Sheets by K.B., M.D. Part 4

Prepperdoc The sheets are very very nice and I have learned from reading them. But a dose of reality, most of my medical books are thousands of pages long. The List of things that can go wrong with us humans is just incredibly huge. We kid ourselves if we think we can learn it in an hour, a day, a week, or a month, or put it in a binder of only eight or 900 pages. The patients I see in the indigent clinic present me with issues most of which have not been covered in these sheets, and they are real patients. That’s not to say the sheets aren’t useful it’s just to say humans are incredibly complex. There’s a reason I spent four years in medical school and years after that in residency. And I don’t even come close to really knowing more than just one tiny specialty….




Easy and Inexpensive FM Voice Satcom Operations, by David in Israel

There are many free to use communications satellites for use only by licensed amateur radio operators, more are launched almost every year with more capabilities. Not licensed? Call the ARRL’s toll-free number at 1-888-277-5289 and request an informational Amateur Radio prospect package. You only need to pass a 35 question Technician exam which uses questions from a public question pool and usually pay less than $15 for an exam seat to begin using the Amateur Satellite Service along with free access to the expansive terrestrial repeater network and Morse code on several HF bands, more when you advance in level. Does this sound like a better deal than the $85 to get a GMRS license? I suggest a solid state HF radio as the most durable and reliable method of long range communication in an emergency, but for portability reasons and those times where HF skywave or skip under or…




Pat’s Product Review: Eberlestock F4M Terminator Backpack

New Zealand. The pack she had, while a nice commercial one, simply wouldn’t hold up for that kind of long-term use and abuse. I mentioned this to the nice folks at US Tactical Supply http://www.ustacticalsupply.com/ and they insisted that my daughter come in and pick out any backpack she wanted for her adventure. And, to be sure, US Tactical Supply only carries the best of the best when it comes to all the products they sell. After visiting the US Tactical Supply walk-in store, and checking out their backpacks, my daughter decided on one made by Eberlestock called the F4M Terminator backpack – go to that web site for a video of the features of this backpack. And, here is a link to the pack, that is sold at US Tactical Supply. Now, to be quite honest, I couldn’t have picked a better backpack myself – I’m proud my daughter took the…




My Experience in Expatriating to Panama, by Chuck Holton

…fine without TV or a car.   This society is not built on a mountain of debt, and people typically pay cash for everything, including their homes, which usually get built a little bit at a time as money allows.  Imagine what your neighborhood would look like if nobody took on debt! • Adequate gun rights–Panama’s gun laws are better than some states in the US and worse than others.  To own a gun one must take a blood test, drug test, eye exam, criminal history check and mental health exam.  Passing those, one is issued a gun permit which allows  you to purchase and own most kinds of firearms (no fully automatic weapons or suppressors) and to carry them concealed.  The “castle doctrine” here is very strong.  Actual gun ownership is low (due to the cost relative to average income) and that means if you get a gun you’ll likely…




An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure- Part 1, by L.W.

…feet above sea level. A major disadvantage of boiling is the energy required. It may be wise to consider having a Kelly Kettle or rocket stove available. Solar distillation Just a little searching on the Internet will yield a wide variety of plans for DIY solar stills; it won’t be long before you find one that will fit your situation and skill set. While every bit as effective as boiling at killing pathogens (and with the advantage of removing heavy metals and radiation), the major drawback is that most DIY and personal-size stills do not produce enough water for a family. Purification Tablets Data strongly suggest that iodine disinfection is not 100% effective in inactivating Cryptosporidium, an organism commonly found in surface waters. Bleach When boiling water is not an option, water can be treated with bleach. First, if your water is not clear, pour it through a coffee filter…




Lessons From Christchurch: Urban Earthquake Preparedness and Survival by Alex F.

Let’s be honest. Thinking about the end of the world is kind of fun. If it weren’t, there wouldn’t be so many post-apocalyptic novels, movies and television shows. Preparing for a relatively slow-moving Armageddon like a civil war or pandemic demands a lot of shopping which is an enjoyable pastime. However, as the grieving citizens of Christchurch, New Zealand attest, the most likely threats are also the most sudden, the least glamorous, and not fun at all. TEOTWAWKI may or may not happen in our lifetimes, but almost everyone has to deal with a natural disaster at one time or another. While all natural disasters can be intensely destructive, none gives less warning than the mighty earthquake. Even such terrifying Acts of God as tornadoes and volcanoes give some signs of their impending arrival; earthquakes do not. According to a friend at a local university’s Geology department, the most sensitive…