Tactical Technology for TEOTWAWKI – Part 4, by J.M.

8

(Continued from Part 3.)

There’s an App for That

The ability to run thousands of different apps is where the power of a mobile device really comes into play. It allows you to have access applications, files, sensors and other things in the palm of your hand. One of the most obvious app uses for mobile devices in field operations is maps – you can use them to figure out where you are, plan you need to go, note your findings, etc. I’ve standardized on mapping apps that utilize Open Street Maps (OSM) data files and support GPX files for exchanging tracks and other information. My primary mapping app is OsmAnd+, along with the contour line plugin; it’s not as detailed as USGS topographic maps, but the terrain in my area of operations (AO) is only moderately hilly so I don’t really need that level of detail. I make sure to download offline maps for every area I could conceivably end up operating in, and they don’t take all that much space. OsmAnd+ also allows you to create markers on your maps, which can be exported via GPX files to other systems to share, and there are plugins that allow you to take pictures/videos/notes and associate them with map locations as well as do freehand drawing on maps.

Yes, I realize that GPS may not be available, but you can still use the apps just like you would a paper map and compass, without the problem of constantly marking up your paper maps. In addition to the OSM map apps I also have PDF copies of USGS topo maps files for my AO stored on my SD card, and high-resolution satellite map screen captures I got by connecting my laptop to a friend’s 4K TV using the laptop’s HDMI port.

Taking notes is another thing I do frequently in the field, and using my mobile device allows me to stretch out the stash of paper notebooks in my preps. You’re not going to write the next ‘War and Peace’ on a mobile device, but for quick short notes it works well. I use an app called Joplin Notes, which allows me to synchronize with a Joplin Notes server running on my home base network when I return home, supports insertion of pictures and other files (like recordings) into notes, has full end-to-end encryption and allows you to create simple checkbox lists (for my to-do items). It’s not as powerful as something like Microsoft OneNote, but there’s no cloud required and I have full control over all of my information. Note-taking in field operations can be a useful way to keep track of discoveries, create reminders, follow checklists and get a leg up on after-action reports (if you’re into such things).

An audio recording app is another useful tool for field operations. You can record quick spoken notes, interviews, capture ideas, etc. One feature you should look for is the ability to save your recordings to an SD card – the one I use is called Voice Recorder (original name, I know), and is one of the highest-rated apps on Google Play. Another possible application for a voice recorder is to record intercepted radio communications you encounter while you’re out in the field. You can just hold your mobile device’s microphone up to your radio’s speaker and record, or [if the impedance matches] you could connect the audio out from your radio to the microphone jack on your mobile device using a microphone-compatible cable. Note that this is a good solution for recording radio traffic for short periods of time – I’d recommend no more than an hour or two, since most of the recording apps don’t support voice activation, and it’ll quickly consume the battery on your mobile device. If you want the ability to do voice-activated recording of radio traffic for long periods of time I’d recommend getting a small dedicated voice recorder that supports line-in so you can directly connect it to your portable radio/scanner with the afore-mentioned cable and let it collect recordings for hours and hours.Continue reading“Tactical Technology for TEOTWAWKI – Part 4, by J.M.”

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 the ongoing coinage shortage that has closed the window of opportunity to stockpiles full bankers’ boxes of nickels. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold, Silver, and Platinum resumed their bull run this week. A recent headline: Gold Futures Surge Above $2,050; Silver Nears $27.  Update, as of Thursday Evening, courtesy of a blog reader:  Silver was $29.38 per ounce and gold was at $2,070.80 per ounce. I expect silver to outshine the other metals. The silver-to-gold ratio was around 100-to-1 when I started sounding the alarm about ratio trading. The ratio is now at 70.73-to-1. It will likely get back below 50-to-1 fairly soon.  We could see a spot silver price of $40 per Troy ounce as early as October, 2020. But of course the market manipulators could attempt to drive down the price of silver again. It is noteworthy that COMEX silver is a notoriously “thin” market”, so it doesn’t take a tremendous number of short contracts to depress the futures and spot prices. Plan (and invest), accordingly.

o  o  o

Futures Jump, Gold Soars As Dollar Destruction Accelerates

o  o  o

Hub Moolman:  This Inflation-Adjusted Silver Chart Tells An Interesting Story.

Economy & Finance:

The Census Bureau’s Grim Take on the Employment Shock During the Pandemic: Not Improving Yet

o  o  o

Coming banking collapse will make financial misery caused by coronavirus even worse

o  o  o

Why’s the ECB Buying the Debt of So Many Non-EU Companies?

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — August 6, 2020

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On August 6th, 1945 at 8:16 a.m. (Japanese time), an American B-29 bomber– the Enola Gay– dropped the world’s first war-time atom bomb over the city of Hiroshima. Approximately 80,000 people were killed as a result of the blast, with another 35,000 injured. At least another 60,000 would be dead by the end of the year from the effects of the fallout. History is always written by the victors, so the reasoning and justification for this will be argued for years to come. But one thing is for sure: this action officially ushered in the nuclear age in war and has generated mass fear among civilization ever since, even though the firebombing of Japanese cities caused far more damage and loss of life. An interesting side note is Tsutomu Yamaguchi was 3km from the Hiroshima blast but survived. Along with a few other survivors, he made his way to his hometown, Nagasaki, and was again within 3km of the second blast yet survived this one also.

—

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. 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)
  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. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. 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.
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for the delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 90 ends on September 30th, 2020, 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.

Tactical Technology for TEOTWAWKI – Part 3, by J.M.

10

(Continued from Part 2.)

It’s All in Your Hands

The core component of my field technology system is what most people would call a cell phone or smartphone, but I prefer to call a Mobile Information, Communications and Control System (MICCS), or just mobile device for short. Why not call it a cell phone? – because the cellular network will most likely be one of the first things to go in a TEOTWAWKI scenario. Granted, you could potentially create your own cellular network if you have the money and expertise, but for the purposes of this article I’m going to assume you’re operating without any cellular (and hence, Internet) connectivity. As a result you don’t need to worry about what kind of cellular connectivity your mobile device supports.

You should also consider the availability of GPS post-disaster – it may or may not function, depending on the specific event. Unless something like a CME impacted the GPS satellites directly, GPS signals will most likely continue operating for some period of time post-TEOTWAWKI. Exactly how long is subject to some debate – the older systems required updates from ground stations every few weeks, or the signals would start to drift, reducing their accuracy. The newer satellites are supposed to be able to maintain their precision for a lot longer, so accurate signals may be available for several years after an event. For the purposes of this article I’m going to put GPS in the ‘nice to have but not critical’ category.

Here are the requirements I came up with for my MICCS mobile device:

  • Rugged with at least an IP68 rating (or able to be ruggedized by putting it into a case)
  • At least 2GB of Random Access Memory (RAM) – 3GB or more is better
  • At least 32GB of flash storage (more is better)
  • Supports a removable microSD card
  • Supports multiple GPS systems (GPS, GLONASS, etc.)
  • Minimum of Android version 8 (I know absolutely nothing about Apple devices, so I’m going to focus on Android)
  • Supports On-the-Go (OTG) for connecting external USB devices
  • Minimum of 3000mAh battery

The device I ultimately settled on is a Ulefone Armor X5 – it met or exceeded all of my requirements, and you can find it for around $100-$150. A slightly less expensive option would be the Ulefone Armor X7, which has less RAM and flash memory; a more expensive option is the Ulefone Armor 3WT which offers a lot more RAM and flash memory, a 10,500mAh battery and a built-in 2W 400MHz-470MHz radio. Blackview and Doogee are other manufacturers that make some decent rugged mobile devices. Note that these tend to be bulkier than most mainstream consumer mobile devices, so you’re probably not going to be carrying it in the back pocket of your skinny jeans. If you have a friend in military procurement and a lot of money, another option is the Samsung S20 Tactical Edition (it’s ‘Proven by operators’, according to Samsung 8-))Continue reading“Tactical Technology for TEOTWAWKI – Part 3, by J.M.”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

57

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 germination experiments using seeds from the Svalbard global seed vault.

Hydroxychloroquine Versus Remdesivir

Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: Hydroxychloroquine vs. Remdesivir: History’s most deadly con. The CDN article begins:

“The world has been rocked by a deadly virus with millions infected, 153,000 deaths reported in the United States, and 667,000 worldwide.

An intense battle has emerged on how to treat COVID-19, between hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), an inexpensive treatment for malaria and other diseases that’s over 50 years old, and Remdesivir, a drug that has been around since 2009, manufactured by Gilead Pharmaceuticals.

This battle shows how public perceptions can be manipulated for profit and political advantage, in this case, at the cost of hundreds of thousands of needless deaths.

As the truth finally comes out, the people who perpetrated this con job will be reviled in history, and those who manipulated the narrative, and the data, will be exposed.”

Recently-Imported Israeli FN-FAL Magazines

I just learned that Palmetto State Armory (“PSA” — one of our affiliate advertisers) is running a special on a small batch of original Israeli metric FN-FAL magazines that were recently imported. There is a mixture of new and used magazines. A few of them are actually original Belgian magazines with blued followers! These typically sell for $25 to $35 each, but PSA is selling them for just $14.99 each.  Type SKU # 5165493391 into their search box. I recommend that you jump on a few of these, even if you don’t yet own a FAL, since their price is bound to go back up to $25+, very soon

Face Masks Confuse Facial Recognition Technology

D.S.V. sent this:  Face Masks Confuse Facial Recognition Technology

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

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — August 5, 2020

5

August 5th is the sad anniversary of the Mann Gulch Fire in Montana that took the lives of 13 firefighters (including 12 smokejumpers and one former smokejumper), in 1949. The intense, fast-moving forest fire took place in what later became the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness. The events of that fire were chronicled in the book Young Men and Fire by Norman Maclean and immortalized in the haunting lyrics of the ballad Cold Missouri Waters by James Keelaghan.

—

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. 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)
  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. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. 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.
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for the delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 90 ends on September 30th, 2020, 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 5th, 2020: Our 15th Blogiversary!

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Today, August 5th, 2020, is the 15th anniversary of the launch of SurvivalBlog. Since August of 2005 we’ve accomplished the following:

  • Posted 33,200+ articles, letters, and columns. In 15 years, we’ve hardly missed a day of posting. All of the blog’s archives are fully searchable and available free of charge–just as they’ve always been.
  • Posted more than 5,470 Quotes Of The Day and 1,580 Bible verses.
  • Cumulatively awarded more than $1.1 million worth of writing contest prizes. (Our sincere thanks to the many generous prize donors. These loyal blog supporters deserve your patronage.)
  • We’ve inspired thousands –and possibly tens of thousands — of people to relocate to The American Redoubt and to other safe regions such as Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau.
  • With your generous help, we’ve supported several very worthy Christian charities.
  • We’ve helped to educate and motivate hundreds of thousands of people to get trained-up, teamed-up, and stocked-up. Nearly every prepared individual will be part of the solution, in the next disaster or societal crisis.  And of course, every prepared individual represents one less person who is rushing to the supermarket at the 11th hour. Thus, we in effect create extra capacity in the supply chain.
  • We’ve promoted dozens of home-based and family-operated businesses.
  • SurvivalBlog has motivated a new generation of gardeners, livestock raisers, beekeepers, hunters, and fishermen.
  • Most importantly to us, we pray that we’ve been able to witness the truth of scripture and that in some small way we’ve helped to draw many SurvivalBlog readers to a closer walk with the Lord Jesus (Yeshua).
Our Plans

We don’t plan to change much with SurvivalBlog.  We intend to continue to consistently deliver you the best editorial content of any preparedness blog. And we’ll keep our layout “old school” –without annoying pop-up ads, 10-item slideshows, or embedded videos. (We recognize that a good portion of our readers still have dial-up Internet connections.)

In January of 2021, we’ll be releasing the 15th Anniversary Edition of our waterproof archive USB  stick. It will be bigger and better than ever before. And take note that we have something special planned for this edition.

Unless one of you readers beat us to it, in coming months Avalanche Lily and I plan to write articles on the following topics that we believe have not yet been covered sufficiently in SurvivalBlog:

  • Utility ATVs for Retreats
  • Thermal Night Vision
  • Dehydrating Vegetables and Herbs
  • Footpath, Equestrian, and ATV Trail Construction
  • Coin Grading Explained
  • Home Pressure-Canning Meats
  • Frost-Free Yard Hydrant Installation and Repair

It may sound hard to believe, but there are still some preparedness-minded folks who have not yet heard about SurvivalBlog. So please spread the word.  And also mention SurvivalBlog to any potential advertisers or prize donors for our bi-monthly nonfiction writing contest.

I also want to sincerely thank the more than 100,000 regular readers of SurvivalBlog for making the blog such a great success! Thanks for sharing your knowledge in your writing contest articles, letters, and comments. And my particular thanks to the 2% of SurvivalBlog readers who are regular Ten Cent Challenge subscribers. Your voluntary subscriptions keep the lights on! – JWR

Tactical Technology for TEOTWAWKI – Part 2, by J.M.

7

(Continued from Part 1.)

You Can’t Stop the Signal!

Much of the gear I’ll be discussing utilizes wireless communications for remote control and data exchange, so there are a number of dynamics that need to be understood to maximize their use. First, there are the factors that impact every radio signal:

  • Transmission power – The more power used to transmit, the stronger the signal and the further away it can be received. In the US the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sets limits on how much power can be used to transmit.
  • Antenna – The more closely the antenna is matched to the desired wavelength (or an even subdivision thereof – e.g. ½, ¼, etc.) the better the reception. The location and orientation of the antenna can also impact transmission and reception. In general, the higher the antenna is the further it can transmit and receive, and a having both the transmitting and receiving antennas in the same orientation (vertical or horizontal) will tend to improve the communications.
  • Obstacles – The obstacles between two points of communications can impact how well the signal gets through. This can include rain and snow.
  • Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) – This is the disruption of radio signals by other sources of electromagnetic radiation. The good news is that in a post-SHTF scenario the most common forms of EMI (like power lines, microwave ovens and WiFi networks) probably won’t be an issue.
  • Distance – In general, the further apart two communication points are the less likely they are to have a good signal.
  • Frequency – Lower frequencies tend to travel further than higher ones.

I know the radio purists out there are probably grinding their teeth at my over-simplifications, but I just want to provide some general ideas for how various factors can impact wireless communications. Note that most of the equipment I’ll be discussing utilizes WiFi networking and a 2.4GHz frequency, so that’s what I’ll be focusing on here.

For WiFi networks there are two common types – ad-hoc and infrastructure. Ad-hoc networks are point-to-point networks – two devices connect directly to each other to communicate back and forth. Infrastructure networks have some kind of central router device which multiple devices connect to and exchange information. Some of the equipment I’ll be discussing creates its own WiFi network and you have to connect directly to it with your mobile device to control or access it, which is essentially an ad-hoc connection. Other equipment requires that a separate WiFi infrastructure network already be present to connect to – for these types of devices you can use something like a GL.iNET GL-MT300N, which is a tiny USB-powered WiFi router. I made a field-deployable WiFi network in a box using an Otterbox DryBox 3250, a GL.iNet GL-MT300N router, a small 10,000mAh USB battery pack, some SMA pigtail cables, a USB cable with a power switch, a short USB cable and some high-gain USB antennas.

The MT300N router circuit board has two small U.fl/ipx connectors that aren’t used, so you can open the router (the bottom panel pops off), plug in the short SMA pigtail cables, drill holes in the top of the Otterbox for the SMA connectors (and seal with silicone!) and attach the external antennas to significantly increase your range.Continue reading“Tactical Technology for TEOTWAWKI – Part 2, by J.M.”

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 a sermon by Pastor Chuck Baldwin on Kalispell, Montana. (See the Sermons section.)

Books:

Sean Hannity’s latest book was just released yesterday, and became an instant best-seller: Live Free Or Die: America (and the World) on the Brink. When I last checked, it was ranked #1, overall in books, on Amazon!

o  o  o

Reader “St. Funogas” suggested this general reference book: Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition.

o  o  o

The Slow Cooker Cookbook: 1000 Flavorful Slow Cooking Recipes for Any Taste and Occasion

o  o  o

A Complete Foxfire Series 14-Book Collection Set with Anniversary Editions (Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 plus 40th and 45th Anniversary Editions)

o  o  o

With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

1

“How divinely full of glory and pleasure shall that hour be when all the millions of mankind that have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God shall meet together and stand around Him, with every tongue and every heart full of joy and praise! How astonishing will be the glory and the joy of that day when all the saints shall join together in one common song of gratitude and love, and of everlasting thankfulness to this Redeemer! With that unknown delight, and inexpressible satisfaction, shall all that are saved from the ruins of sin and hell address the Lamb that was slain, and rejoice in His presence!” – Isaac Watts

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — August 4, 2020

5

On August 4th, 1944, 15-year-old Jewish diarist Anne Frank and her family were captured by the Nazi Gestapo. The Franks had taken shelter in a small space in a sealed-off area of an Amsterdam warehouse along with another Jewish family and a single Jewish man. They were aided by Christian friends who brought them food and supplies. Her diary survived the war, overlooked by the Gestapo, but Anne and nearly all of the others perished in the Nazi death camps.

—

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. 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)
  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. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. 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.
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  4. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for the delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 90 ends on September 30th, 2020, 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.

Tactical Technology for TEOTWAWKI – Part 1, by J.M.

29

[Editor’s Introductory Note:  This lengthy and detailed article will be serialized into six parts.]

I’ll admit it: I’m a techno-geek. Ever since I programmed my first computer in BASIC using punched paper tape many (many) years ago I’ve been fascinated by computers and electronics, and I’m always finding ways to leverage technology to improve various aspects of my life. I use RFID chips on many of my preps so I can locate them quickly, I’ve created an extensive database of all of my preps that includes type, quantity, location, storage bin, expiration/rotation date and lots more, and I’ve created a centralized home security system using Python running on a couple of Raspberry Pis with a boatload of sensors and cameras. Yes, I also make sure I have hardcopy and analog backups and alternatives for everything in case something goes wrong, but I’ve found that by taking advantage of technology I can significantly improve many aspects of my preparations.

One of the crossovers of my interest in technology and my military background is that I’ve always been fascinated by the ways the military applies technology to support field operations. Programs like the US Army Land Warrior and SOCOM’s Hyper Enabled Operator provide some interesting ideas for how troops can use technology to support combat operations, and devices like the FLIR Black Hornet drone show how the technology can be applied today. Unfortunately, unless you have a friend in military procurement and $80K to spare, you probably won’t be able to get hold of a Black Hornet drone; however, there are a lot of affordable alternatives available that you can use to improve your operations when you’re out in the field. This article will focus on ideas and solutions for applying technology when you’re mobile in tactical situations.

I know there are folks that believe that digital technology won’t have any place in post-SHTF environments, but I would argue that a lot of the technology I’ll be discussing is just as useful in both pre- and post-SHTF situations as red-dot sights, night vision devices and radios. Most of it can last years if properly cared for, and the low-cost devices I’m focusing on will enable most people to stock up on spares and replacement parts. I’m also not advocating digital solutions as a total replacement for any single item; rather, they can extend or complement other analog or manual solutions.

One other common concern is what happens to the electronics if there’s an EMP event. The good news is that you can fit a decent electronics field kit into a single .50 caliber ammo can converted into a Faraday box. The only thing that may not fit would be a power generation system (discussed later), so you may need a separate way to protect that. I also use several small Silent Pocket Faraday bags to carry individual devices when I travel with them.

I had a couple of goals for the solutions I’ll be discussing:

  • Relatively low cost
  • Lightweight
  • Small size
  • Rechargeable/powered via USB or standard AA/AAA batteries

I’ve tried to provide Amazon links for most of what I’ll be covering in the article, but you may be able to find the same or equivalent items for less money on places like DealExtreme, AliExpress, BangGood or other China direct sites (assuming you’re willing to wait a month or two for delivery). Also, please note that I wrote this article over a period of months, which is several lifetimes in the consumer electronics space, and some of the items may have been upgraded or replaced with newer models by the time you read this, so do some research.Continue reading“Tactical Technology for TEOTWAWKI – Part 1, by J.M.”

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 a couple of more grizzly bear attacks.   (See the Montana and Wyoming sections.)

Idaho

My #1 Son sent this, from Redoubt News: Lawsuit Filed Against Mask Mandate

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City of Nezperce declares state of emergency over Ammon Bundy’s planned rally

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Horse rescued from trench in Emmett

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