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:

My annual firewood cutting ritual is nearly complete. All of the wood is now stacked up near our woodshed. I still have some crosscutting to do, as well as some splitting. But the hard part of the job is over!

This week we also replaced our hot water heater.  I also did some work on building a new pasture cross-fence.

Now on to Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.

In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.

I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.

Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.

I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.

Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?

Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?

Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.

And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.

I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.

I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?

Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.

Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.

The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled.

The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad.

The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.

Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.

Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” – Psalm 77 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — July 23, 2021

On July 23rd, 1982, outside Santa Clarita, California, actor Vic Morrow (of Combat! fame) and two children were killed when a helicopter crashed onto them while shooting a scene from Twilight Zone: The Movie.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

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

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

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

Third Prize:

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

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

Lessons Learned From Going Rural – Part 2, by Animal House

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

The Septic Tank

The age and condition of the septic system is important to know. The older the septic the stronger the chance of having trouble; which is something you don’t ever want to experience. The size of the septic depends on how many bathrooms, the number of people living in the home and how new the kitchen is; meaning is there a dishwasher, garbage disposal, automatic ice makers, etc. If you don’t know when the septic was last serviced, go by these fabled words: when in doubt, pump it out! It is better if you can negotiate this action as a part of the selling contract, just like you would a termite inspection.

If the septic system is really old, then it is possible the tank may be compromised. Tree roots can easily damage a tank and over run the drain field. Look for any inspection records of the septic installation; if there are none, you may have a hillbilly barrel tank, which may not be functioning. An instant $15,000-to-$20,000 bill, which homeowners insurance may not pay unless you have a rider.

Inspect the HVAC System

If the residence has an HVAC system, have it checked out by a reputable person/firm. Just because you can feel hot or cold air coming out the registers doesn’t mean the system works properly. Getting it repaired vs buying a new system can be negotiated with the seller.

Wood Stoves

Depending on where you live and who your insurer is you may have to have a special rider to your policy if you have a wood stove. Call and find out before you buy. Depending on the age of the wood stove it may or may not have a blower system. It may or may not have fire bricks. If it has tempered glass on the door, have it checked as it varies by age, brand and if it meets current code. If the stove is free-standing, the stove pipe to the outside needs to be checked for cracks or holes so you don’t die in your sleep from carbon monoxide poisoning. If the pipes are rusted they should be replaced. The insides should also be cleaned to avoid a stove fire which could burn your house down.Continue reading“Lessons Learned From Going Rural – Part 2, by Animal House”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we further examine the real estate boom in the American Redoubt states. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Silver price bounces off support below $25; weakness is overdone – Commerzbank.

o  o  o

Daan Joubert: Exploring COMEX Gold And Silver.

Economy & Finance:

At Yahoo Finance: Yield Plunge Stirs Thoughts of 1% Treasuries on Delta Variant.

o  o  o

Quantitative easing: how the world got hooked on magicked-up money.

o  o  o

Japan maintains economic assessment in July report.

o  o  o

Government Could Run Out Of Cash in October or November If Debt Ceiling Isn’t Raised. JWR’s Comment:  If they keep raising it, then why do they bother calling it a ceiling? It is more like a: “Overspending Reminder.”

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — July 22, 2021

July 22nd is the birthday of actor Willem Dafoe (born 1955). Perhaps his best role was in the movie The Hunter, set in Tasmania.

—

A new listing, over at the SurvivalRealy.com spin-off site: Ultimate Self-Sustained Living: Off-grid earth-sheltered home in Rogue River, Oregon.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

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

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

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

Third Prize:

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

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

Lessons Learned From Going Rural – Part 1, by Animal House

When conservatives won the 2016 election many people breathed a sign of relief and decided America was safe for a few years. They decided to keep their city jobs, they slowed down their emergency preparations, and pushed back that decision to move to the country. As the unrest increases in cities, I know many families who have brought the country move back to the front burner and are actively putting together their wish lists for a homestead property. I’ve been through this, so I thought I’d share some of the things that are important in purchasing a rural property.

Analyze Your Budget

Figure out your priorities and stick with them! How much money do you have to spend? What’s more important to you, a big house or lots of land? Every family will be different, but you need to decide up front so you are not blown around making changes to your plan. I am told that buying a house is an emotional decision; don’t let that happen. Yes, you need to keep your spouse and children happy, but factor those must-haves into your plan and stick with it. This decision will make or break your homesteading experience.

Rural Living is Different from City/Suburb Living

What you are used to in the city/suburb is not going to be the same in the countryside. You will gradually change your habits, so be patient. Unless you are very wealthy, it takes several years to develop a homestead. Do you have the patience to face constant pop-up problems and the willingness to solve them?

Will you have to work outside the homestead? how long will the commute take? Are you healthy and physically strong enough to do the work a homestead requires? Are you now or can you learn to be a do-it-your-selfer?

How far are the closest gas station, grocery store and doctor? You need to find a doctor/clinic; things happen…sickness, broken bones, snake bites. None of us are completely self-sufficient; there are things we have to buy. In the city/suburbs you can run to the store in 10 minutes; not so in the countryside.

What are the roads like? Many country roads are gravel and oil or just gravel or dirt with blind curves and hills. The countryside is dark…there are no street lights, no painted lines or curbs. If you live miles off a county road, then you must maintain your access road. In some areas, you have to maintain the county road around you, like clearing downed trees. If you don’t do it, then it doesn’t get done in a timely manner. Maintaining your section of the road sometimes requires equipment to push snow, level dirt, or drain water. Check with the county or neighbors to find out who does what.

Questions to Ask

If you are using a realtor (he/she) will either know or can find out answers to very important questions. Is the property within city limits or is it just part of the county? It is possible to have a city mailing address but not be in city limits. So what; why do you care? If you are within city limits you may have city water, gas trash, etc., plus be subject to city taxes plus all the little annoying rules; like you can’t have chickens, you can’t burn your trash, you can’t fence your property, you can’t build an out-building or anything without a permit, etc. HOAs may have one redeeming quality in the city in a condo, but way out here; nada.

Most country properties are zoned as farm or ranch; but some are not; it makes a difference in your taxes. Also ask about special exemptions, such as agricultural or greenbelt exemptions, etc.Continue reading“Lessons Learned From Going Rural – Part 1, by Animal House”

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 a new round of X-class solar flares.

First X-Flare of Solar Cycle 25

Over at Spaecewather: First X-flare of Solar Cycle 25. JWR’s Comments:  The worst of the two recent  flares’ fury was “farside.” (Facing away from Earth.) We may not be so lucky, next time. Be ready for a power grid collapse, folks!

Poll Shows Some Americans Favor Secession

Bryce sent this: Poll shows some Americans would entertain the idea of secession. JWR’s Comments:  Both the media talking heads and the politicians need to get their terminology straight: Partition is not Secession. Most of the movements are about shifting boundary lines, NOT for leaving the Union. You will note that Mr. Gutfeld is trying for laughs and uses a tone of ridicule in this segment. This won’t be a laughing matter in another three years, especially if the Democrats steal another presidential election.

Onerous New FAA Civilian Drone Regulations

Bad news for drone owners: Your drone WILL BE GROUNDED (2021 FAA Remote ID drone laws)Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — July 21, 2021

July 21st is the birthday of Ernest Hemingway. He was born in 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. He committed suicide in July 2, 1961 in Ketchum, Idaho, after being diagnosed with haemochromatosis, and after electroshock treatments failed to lift him from chronic alcoholic depression. He had a sad personal life but was a great writer.

—

As I’m sure most of you readers know, I sell antique guns, through Elk Creek Company — my home-based mailorder business. Per Federal law, these guns do not require an FFL, and are also exempt from paperwork under most state laws. But occasionally, I upgrade my personal gun collection, and consequently sell a few excess modern (post-1898) guns through a trusted friend who has a FFL. He just started auctions on three particularly nice guns from my collection, on GunBroker.com. Take a look. I hope that you’ll consider bidding:

Note: These auctions are scheduled to end on the evening of Sunday, August 1st.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

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

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

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

Third Prize:

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

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

The Tao of Cordage – Part 2 , by J.M.

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

Paracord

As I’ve mentioned several times, 550 paracord is the granddaddy of prepper cordage. Virtually every survival-related blog, forum, book and other information source has recommendations to include 550 paracord in your preps. 550 paracord was originally developed to use as lines on parachutes, so it’s strong and stretches a lot (up to 30%) to absorb the shock of the parachute deploying. From a survival perspective, it’s a kernmantle style, so you can extract the internal strands and use those for fishing line, sewing thread, etc. and still use the external sheath for other heavier tasks.

While I have several spools of 550 paracord in my home preps, I believe that it’s not necessarily the best option for my mobile kits like EDC, get home bags (GHBs) and bug-out bags (BOBs), and it’s certainly not a good choice for camping and backpacking. 550 paracord has 7 internal strands, and carrying 100’ of 550 paracord means that I’ll have 700’ of thin line, which is significantly more than I’ll ever conceivably need, and I don’t need 550 lbs. of static strength to make shelters. Decent quality 550 paracord runs about $0.10 per foot.

For mobile kit there are other paracord options that I believe make more sense. Not everyone is aware of it, but there are several other classes of paracord, including 750, 425, 375 and 275. Each of them has a different number of internal strands with different thicknesses, but the one I’ve settled on for most of my mobile kit is 275 paracord. 275 lbs. of static strength is more than enough for most of the tasks I’m planning on, and it has 5 thin internal strands that I can still remove for lighter tasks. It’s a lot lighter and thinner than 550 cord, so I can carry almost 4 times as much for the same space and weight if I need to, or the same length for ¼ of the weight and space. Quality 275 paracord runs about $0.08 per foot.Continue reading“The Tao of Cordage – Part 2 , by J.M.”

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.

Our Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson wrote:

“My passenger was using an iPhone (I call them “spiPhones”) to navigate this weekend. The phone’s navigation system said:

‘Turn right at the red car.’
It was gathering enough private information in real-time to know what color a car ahead of us was. If that doesn’t bother you, then you’re oblivious.”

o  o  o

Video: Massive Uprising in France Has Begun! And here is an article about the uprising: French Police Lay Down Shields Join 100,000 Protesters Marching Against Vaccine Passport.

o  o  o

Avalanche Lily heard about this legislation:  Voters will decide if Mainers have a constitutional right to grow food. Hopefully, this will pass and become model legislation for other states.

o  o  o

The latest vlog from Matt Christiansen: The White House Is Openly Directing Social Media Censorship | ‘Misinfo Takes Away Our Freedom’. JWR’s Comment: You’ve gotta love how the Bidenistas are now using the old Soviet term “disinformation” (Dezinformatsiya.) That is somehow sweet and fitting.

o  o  o

Reader C.B. just wrote to mention that the WSJ Housing Index just put Billings, Montana and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho as their #1 and 2 picks for housing destinations.  Locals: Brace yourselves. You’re now living boomtowns.

o  o  o

H.L. suggested this piece posted over at Zero Hedge:  Is South Africa’s Present America’s Future?

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“However desperate the situation and circumstances, don’t despair. When there is everything to fear, be unafraid. When surrounded by dangers, fear none of them. When without resources, depend on resourcefulness.” – Sun Tzu

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — July 20, 2021

Today is the birthday of novelist Cormac McCarthy (born, 1933.) He is the author of the survivalist novel The Road, which later became a popular movie with the same title.

On July 20th, 1969, at 10:56 p.m. EDT, American astronaut Neil Armstrong, 240,000 miles from Earth, spoke these words to more than a billion people listening at home: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Stepping off the lunar landing module Eagle, Armstrong became the first human to walk on the surface of the moon. Armstrong later recounted that he had meant to say:  “…step for a man…”

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

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

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

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

Third Prize:

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

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