Preparedness Notes for Saturday — June 13, 2020

7

On June 13, 1983, after more than a decade in space, Pioneer 10– the world’s first outer-planetary probe– left the solar system. The next day, it radioed back its first scientific data on interstellar space.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 89 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 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 (an $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, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 89 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.

An Old Boy Scout’s Journey – Part 3, by Rocket J. Squirrel

17

(Continued from Part 2.)

For my rifles, I stocked up on 10-round detachable magazines, stripper clips, and en bloc clips. For those of you still oppressed in Kalifornia, and if you missed the opportunity during “Freedom Week” in March/April 2019 to legally purchase 30-round standard capacity magazines then here is an idea to consider – I purchased magazine parts kits. All they do is remove the floor plate from standard magazines. If bad things happened, I could assemble the kits and load the standard capacity magazines. Based on reliability reviews of various magazine brands, I selected 20 round magazine kits for both the M1A (M14, GI surplus) and Mini-14 (ProMag).

Another idea that might be less expensive than a parts kit is to purchase full capacity magazines and have them shipped to someone you know out of state. On your next visit out-of-state, disassemble the magazines then take the parts home. MagPul 30-round PMAGs go on sale for $8 each with free shipping every once in a while at Palmetto State Armory. (Thank you again, Mr. Rawles, for all of your deal tips in the blog.) I stocked up on PMAGs now that I have escaped Kalifornia.

I purchased ammunition to feed the firearms. I even purchased some additional 9mm and .45 ACP for barter. Each firearm has some type of web gear for the loaded magazines or en bloc clips. Olongapo Outfitters has some great grab-and-go gear as well as side saddles for the M1 Garand, shotgun and magazine-fed platforms. Some Garand cartridge belts are on the wish list. The web gear and magazines/clips for each firearm need to be better organized by firearm for quick access. For the budget conscious, you can purchase surplus World War I grenade carriers, Chinese chest rigs and replica cartridge belts that have appropriate size pockets for your magazines or loaded clips. But it seems that the prices of surplus have risen and are now on par with newly manufactured items.Continue reading“An Old Boy Scout’s Journey – Part 3, by Rocket J. Squirrel”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

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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. Note that as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I had a fairly quiet week, traveling out of state. Here,  I’m helping an elderly relative, and gathering antique gun inventory.  This week, I was able to procure only two antique revolvers. The pickings are slim. Watching some recent auctions, it is almost frightening to see prices escalate. The law of supply and demand is inescapable. The supply of pre-1899 guns is frozen (and in fact declining, with wear and tear), yet there are constantly more new collectors and shooters who reach the age of majority. Thus, demand is increasing. My new inventory will be listed at Elk Creek Company around July 1st, to coincide with my return to the Rawles Ranch, and re-opening my biz. Note that ordering with the Shopping Cart system will be turned off until July 1st, but you can still add guns to your wish list, or e-mail me to reserve any particular gun, in your name.

I finished my SUV bumper re-painting project.  It was time-consuming, but satisfying to see the end result.

I’ve found the time for plenty of exercise. Apart from my regular Bible reading, I’ve been delving into the biographical book Revolver — on the life of Samuel Colt.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

1

“I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:

Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay!

Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them?

Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!

Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul.

 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.

Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!” – Habukkuk 2:1-12 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — June 12, 2020

4

On June 12, 1987, during a visit to the divided German city of Berlin, President Ronald Reagan publicly challenged Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.”

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 89 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 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 (an $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, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 89 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.

An Old Boy Scout’s Journey – Part 2, by Rocket J. Squirrel

17

(Continued from Part 1.)

There is a DeWalt 6 kW generator with a Honda gasoline engine that was purchased used. The local Stihl dealer gave it a tune up. Spare spark plugs are kept in the tool box. I have very limited gasoline storage but do have a tri-fuel kit. The tri-fuel kit from www.uscarb.com enables the generator to use gasoline, propane, or natural gas for fuel. Make certain you buy the kit which matches your specific engine model. I need to get the kit installed as well as the natural gas fittings for our current home. Natural gas may have better availability than gasoline in a longer term grid down situation. This would be especially true for a localized power outage due to a short-term disaster such as a wind storm or hurricane. This is because most natural gas transmission pipelines now use gas turbine-driven compressors fueled by the natural gas in the pipeline rather than electric motor drivers.

It is unsafe and illegal in many jurisdictions to connect your portable generator to your house circuitry without a transfer switch. The transfer switch disconnects the wiring in your house from the utility distribution system. This is to avoid electrocuting/killing the power company linemen during a power outage. Yes, your little portable generator could do that. Without the transfer switch you will have long cords running to your refrigerator from the generator which needs to be located outside to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning of your family. I recently ran across an elegant, significantly lower cost solution compared to a traditional transfer switch set-up. Installing a GenerLink Meter Mounted Transfer Switch (includes a 20’ cord) is now on the to-do list. Home Depot has the lowest price ($650) I have found. I will have to get permission from the utility company to install it since the meter seal has to be broken for installation. Hire an electrician to do the installation. If you live in the Great White North, a generator with transfer switch will enable you to run the fan on your furnace during a power outage if you do not have a wood stove for heat. You obviously still need natural gas or propane to run your furnace in addition to the power for the fan.Continue reading“An Old Boy Scout’s Journey – Part 2, by Rocket J. Squirrel”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

21

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 recent stock market rallies. Be warned: These stock market rallies are irrationally exuberant. (See the Equities section.)

Precious Metals:

Summer doldrums? Precious Metals Sector Correction Starts As Risk On And Seasonal Factors Weigh

o  o  o

Money managers hike bullish silver positioning but scale back in gold

Economy & Finance:

In the WSJ: U.S. Economy Faces Long Recovery From Coronavirus Effects, Experts Say

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: California Faces “Financial Collapse” As It Moves To Allow Businesses To Walk Away From Commercial Leases

o  o  o

Neil Irwin, in The New York Times: Don’t Lose the Thread. The Economy Is Experiencing an Epic Collapse of Demand.

o  o  o

Why People Are Hoarding Cash in the Coronavirus Panic

o  o  o

At Wolf Street: Rents in the Most Expensive Cities Drop. Oil Patch Gets Hit Too. But Massive Gains in Other Cities

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — June 11, 2020

26

John Wayne, the iconic American film actor, died on June 11th, 1979. While John Wayne is probably best known for his westerns like True Grit, The Shootist, and Fort Apache, we remember him most for his roles in The Alamo and The Green Berets, both of which reflected his patriotic, conservative leanings.

—

The Theater of the Absurd in Seattle, Washington is morphing, daily.  The latest news is that a 7-block district has been declared the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ). The Seattle Police Department meekly and obligingly evacuated and abandoned a precinct police station, leaving these communist hooligans to strut around by themselves. I suspect that this will end a lot like the Occupy Wall Street protests, but the undertones are clear and the precedent-setting implications are considerable. I’m calling out these revolutionaries for what they are: Petulant, spoiled, Maoist Man-Children that have Delusions of Adequacy. And I have coined a name for them: CHAZanistas.  Watch closely, folks. This is Seattle Tragicomedy, at its finest.

I should also mention that these socialist shenanigans illustrate just how divided Western Washington is, culturally and politically from those who live East of The Cascades. The CHAZ is just one more reason for Eastern Washington to partition to become the State of Liberty. Now that would be a legitimate geographic delineation!

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 89 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 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 (an $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, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 89 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.

An Old Boy Scout’s Journey – Part 1, by Rocket J. Squirrel

9

What prompted me to begin preparing? I am not certain if there was one specific trigger. I’d like to share my journey to becoming “more” prepared? If you have recently realized that you need to be prepared to take care of your family, your community and your country in the event that really bad things happen, then hopefully my journey will encourage you. Maybe not, since it has taken me so long. I am still on the journey, still learning, still implementing new things about which I learn. My perspective continues to change.

My beautiful bride and I are not retreat owners, we live in the suburbs. I have accepted that I need to be ready where I am, as we presently have no place to which we can bug out. As Mr. Rawles points out, bugging out is far from the ideal scenario as it will be filled with potential dangers. I look forward to the day when we can move away from the crowds to the mountains that we love so much; maybe the Sierra Nevada Mountains, maybe the Rocky Mountains, or maybe a property will become available on The Unnamed River. Until that day, I will do my best, here in this part of God’s Country.

One purpose in my writing is to share the choices that I have made with those who may be just starting on your preparedness journey. This is a summary of many complex subjects. There are so many choices to make when you start preparing, and so many conflicting opinions about which is the best option. Some think they have to get everything done now, once the preparedness floodgates have been opened. This can be overwhelming.

What should be the first priority – other than everything? What is the best solution for water storage, ammunition caliber, etc.? Implementing only the “best” solution can be a roadblock to action. Know that making a reasonable choice and implementing that choice is better than endless research and a lack of action. Accept the fact that as you learn more, your opinion on what you have implemented may change. It is okay to change your mind. If you change your mind then adjust your plans, your equipment and your training as you see fit.Continue reading“An Old Boy Scout’s Journey – Part 1, by Rocket J. Squirrel”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

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SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, we look at riots and their sociopolitical fallout.

Manhattan’s 5th Avenue Stores Boarded Up

SurvivalBlog’s Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson mentioned this television news reports, showing this sign of the times: Luxury Stores Board Up Along Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Disarming Elmer T. Fudd

Mike Williamson also sent this news of modern Politically Correct absurdity:  Looney Tunes: HBO Max Series Bans Elmer Fudd’s Rifle. Yosemite Sam will also be disarmed. So it seems that back in the early 1980s Hank Williams saw it all coming, when he wrote the lyrics to The Coalition to Ban Coalitions.

No Legal Justification For Lockdown

Reader D.S.V. sent the link to this piece by Bill Sardi: Americans Have Been Duped: No Legal Justification For Lockdown. Here is a brief excerpt:

“Did the COVID-19 coronavirus “epidemic” ever pose such a threat to human life that the entire population of the world needed to be locked down and quarantined?  Even in malnourished populations in 3rd world countries that are expected to have weak immunity, there are far fewer COVID-19 coronavirus-related deaths than in the U.S., which suggests treatment-related deaths or over-reporting.”Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

1

“The core elements of debt, civic decay, and global disorder are now coalescing into a perfect storm of consequences for a nation and world built upon a teetering edifice of unpayable debt, unfulfilled promises, the unbridled greed of a blood thirsty ruling class, and the unbelievable delusions of people who think a world built upon borrowing to consume is sustainable.

The dichotomy between what is happening in the real world and what is happening in the world of the financiers will lead to violent upheaval on a timeline not anticipated by the ruling class. There is a good reason gun stores were overwhelmed with business at the outset of this over-hyped flu pandemic. As Strauss and Howe pointed out twenty three years ago, trust in the government, central bankers, the corporate media, and “experts” is disintegrating rapidly. The anger and disillusionment grows by the day and pockets of resistance are propagating throughout the country.” – Jim Quinn, in his The Burning Platform blog

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — June 10, 2020

73

Some Observations on Recent Events: This whole kneeling thing (most recently in the Capitol rotunda) is getting over-played. In my estimation kneeling positions are apropos only for praying, proposing marriage, or for shooting. I am happy to extend a hand of friendship anyone of any skin tone, or any religion, if they show mutual respect for law and reason. And I would give my life, fighting for the rights of others to assemble publicly, to speak out, and to seek redress for grievances. That is where I draw the line: Protesting?: Yes. Looting?: No.

I submit only to Lord Jesus (Yeshua.) I do not worship “Diversity.”  And I certainly don’t grovel and beg forgiveness for the crime of enslavement that I didn’t commit. (Nor did my parents, grandparents, or even my great-grandparents.) All that I ask is that we unite as rational Americans of all skin tones and agree to respect each others lives, property, liberty, and other fundamental rights. I have no patience for someone who irrationally claims that there are “seven genders”, or someone who “identifies” as a baby, or someone who claims that they are presently oppressed because their great-great-great grandparents were enslaved. Neither can I agree with someone who says that the government has a right to forcibly take 28% of what I’ve earned from my wallet, and redistribute it to someone who refuses to work. That is not charity. That is strong-armed robbery, under fictitious, fabricated law. I also refuse to go along with the fiction that a human fetus in the womb is a “nonviable tissue mass.” Lastly, I refuse to be disarmed, just because a few others (in fact, only around 1%) misuse firearms. That is like forcing someone to be castrated because their neighbor committed a rape. Don’t expect me to kowtow to any of this patently irrational nonsense. I am a rational man and a free man, and I will die that way. – JWR

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 89 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 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 (an $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, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 89 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.

Synthetic and Natural Fibers, by Madison B.

23

Modern commercially-produced clothing probably makes up the vast majority of your wardrobe. Commercially-produced clothing has many advantages: It is inexpensive, it is widely available, and it comes in millions of different colors and styles. It is also available in a myriad of textures and materials. Many of these materials promise to perform at levels that would only be found in a Sci-Fi novel twenty years ago. Moisture-wicking, antimicrobial, ripstop fabric pervades sportswear and workwear alike. The modern performance fabric also has a sleek clean look that promises ease of movement and impenetrable protection. For all of the benefits these fabrics offer, they have one major downfall: sustainability.

I know what you’re thinking, “Oh here we go: Another bleeding-heart liberal complaining about the environment.” While synthetic fabrics are extremely damaging to the atmosphere and ocean and cotton is a major contributor to water shortages around the world, I’m not actually talking about environmental sustainability. I am talking about the ability to produce, procure, maintain, and use these fabrics in a SHTF situation.

Take a look at what you’re wearing now. Check the tags on all of your gear. If you look at the fiber content for the majority of the fabrics that surround you, you will notice one thing. Almost everything is a synthetic fiber or a synthetic blend. Synthetic fibers include Polyester, Nylon, Spandex, Lycra, Acrylic, Kevlar, Olefin, Acetate, and Zylon among others. All synthetic fibers are made of plastic. Fibers like Rayon, Lyocel, Tencel, and Cellulose Acetate are considered pseudosynthetic and are made of plant cellulose. Both synthetic and pseudosynthetic fibers require intensive laboratory procedures and equipment to manufacture and are nigh on impossible to produce at home.

Synthetic fiber production also relies on refined petroleum. If for any reason the supply chains of petroleum or other chemicals were to be compromised, the manufacture of synthetic and pseudosynthetic fibers would come to a standstill. Without fiber production, the manufacture of clothing, home goods, outdoor goods, and other industries would grind to a halt. Even an oil embargo could cause the cost of synthetic fiber production to rise to inaccessible levels.Continue reading“Synthetic and Natural Fibers, by Madison B.”

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 the Tamara K.’s View From The Porch blog. (See the Web Pages & Blogs section.)

Books:

Revolver, by Jim Rasebenrger. A fascinating biography of Samuel Colt. It was just published this year. My thanks to Conor, for sending me a copy.

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Reader Jim L. suggested this: Wilding: Returning Nature to our Farm by Isabella Tree

and also this:

Grocery Story by Jon Steinman

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Alone at Dawn: Medal of Honor Recipient John Chapman and the Untold Story of the World’s Deadliest Special Operations Force  Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:”