Preparedness Notes for Monday — April 20, 2020

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On April 20th, 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, leased by BP, killed 11 workers and began spewing an estimated 200 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico for nearly three months, creating the worst known offshore oil spill.

April 20th is also the day that we remember the victims of the Columbine High School tragedy, where two students stormed into a suburban high school in Littleton, Colorado in 1999, at lunch time with guns and explosives, killing 13 and wounding dozens more in what was, at the time, the nation’s deadliest school shooting.

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Many SurvivalBlog  readers are now scheduled to return their regular commute-to-work life on May 1st–or soon after.  Keep in mind that the extra time required for commuting will gobble up precious time. So take full advantage of your extra time now, and write a feature article for Round 88 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. You’ll then be in the running to be chosen as one of the top three prize winners, who together will be awarded almost $10,000 worth of prizes.  Don’t let that time slip away! Carpe diem.

Budget Retreat Security, by Pat Cascio

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If you’ve been a reader of SurvivalBlog.com for any length of time, you’ve surely seen the term Operational Security and the acronym OPSEC. And just as often, you’ve seen the term retreat security. These two go hand-in-hand. Together, they can make your surroundings as safe and secure as possible. Sometimes, depending on your location, this might be simple. But other times, it takes a lot more work to make your surroundings as safe and secure as you possibly can. Every once in a while, I have to remind myself to maintain both OPSEC as well as retreat security.

More than half my life, I’ve been involved in either public or private law enforcement. One position I held for about a year was, private alarms. On the day shift, I installed both silent and not-too-silent arms, most were in businesses, but some were in private homes. On the night shift, I answered those alarms. Silent alarms were connected to a central station, at the business I worked at, and whenever an alarm was tripped, it notified the person at the central alarm station, and they would radio whomever was on duty, and we would respond to those alarms. Sad to say, at that time, I worked in the Chicago, Illinois area, and the Chicago Police Department were very slow to respond to silent alarms, if they responded at all. Many times, when the CPD arrived, they would “secure” the outside of the business, while I went in alone, to do a building search. Anyone in law enforcement will tell you that, it is nearly impossible to search a large building on your own – not good!

While working the day shift, installing alarms, it could get pretty boring. The biggest job was running the wires all over the building and at times, these installations could take a week or longer. Then we had to check each alarm, to make sure it was covering the area we needed it to check – trying not to leave any areas where there wasn’t coverage – this also took some time. On big jobs, there might be two of us doing the installation. Then, we had to check an adjust the sensitivity of each alarm – if they were too sensitive, they would “trip” the alarm for no reason, or even a mouse running through it. Other times, they weren’t sensitive enough.

We used a lot of infrared alarms and they sensed movement. The infrared alarms didn’t sound, they would turn-on a red or green light on the alarm itself. At times, I would attempt to see how stealthy those alarms were, and I’d try to walk through them…if you didn’t move fast, and held yourself against a wall, you could get through an alarm without setting it off. However, other alarms covering the area would more than likely pick-up your movement. Then we had alarms that picked-up body heat, There was no way getting through them without setting them off.Continue reading“Budget Retreat Security, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Daniel’s Hamburger and Bean Casserole

Reader Daniel kindly sent us his recipe for hamburger and bean casserole.

Ingredients
  • 1 can french cut green beans
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 small can of tomato Paste
  • 1 Lb. Ground Beef, Browned and Drained
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups of Basmati rice
Directions
  1. Cook the rice.
  2. Brown the beef and drain off any grease.
  3. When the rice is nearly done, preheat your oven to 350 F.
  4. Lay down ground beef as a thin layer, in an oven-proof casserole dish.
  5. Add a layer of cooked rice.
  6. Continue layering, alternating all of the beef and rice.
  7. Spread the can of cream of mushroom soup
  8. Sprinkle on the french cut green beans
  9. Finish with a layer of diced tomatoes mixed with tomato paste on top
  10. Cook in oven @350 F for about 45 minutes.

SERVING

Serve hot.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column we place emphasis on recipes that use long term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

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 Really Big Helicopter Drop of Money.

Precious Metals:

Gold and silver prices down as risk appetite up late this week

o  o  o

​Physical Gold and Silver to Continue to Soar on Massive Demand and Money Printing Everywhere

The Really Big Helicopter Drop of Money

It was Milton Friedman who famously coined the term “helicopter money” and Ben Bernanke was the first Federal Reserve Chairman to seriously consider using it. Well, figuratively, Uncle Sam has borrowed one of those really big heavy lift helicopters, from Russia. (Pictured.)  I found several of the following news items aggregated in the highly-recommended McAlvany Intelligence Advisor Daily G-2 e-letter.

The U.S. has thrown more than $6 trillion at the coronavirus crisis. That number could grow. JWR’s Comment:  A trillion here, and a trillion there, and pretty soon you’re talking about real money. (I’m of course amplifying Senator Everett Dirksen’s famous yet supposedly misattributed comment:  “A billion here, and a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking about real money.”)

o  o  o

Florida woman trying to withdraw stimulus check finds $8.5M in her account

o  o  o

Gavin Newsom announces coronavirus cash payments to illegal immigrants. JWR’s Comment:  Only a life-long Democrat would consider incentivizing illegals aliens to stay, just as unemployment is spiking at the highest level since the Great Depression.

o  o  o

Zero Hedge: The $349 Billion Small Business Loan Program Is Now Out Of Money.

o  o  o

Coronavirus Relief: Proposed Bill Would Give Americans $2,000 A Month During Pandemic

Economy & Finance:

JohnnyMac, at American Partisan: Our Economic Future – Q3 & Q4 2020

o  o  o

5 million more people filed jobless claims last week, bringing total to almost 22 million in one month

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: Story Time 1929-1936

o  o  o

At Wolf Street: How Will Covid-19 Lockdowns Hit the Housing Market? It Gets a Little Clearer

o  o  o

And another from Wolf, with charts: Here’s Where Retail Sales Spiked and Collapsed in 11 Mind-Blowing Charts of Lockdown Land

o  o  o

Overcapacity / Oversupply Everywhere: Massive Deflation Dead Ahead.  JWR’s Comment: Be prepared for deflation followed by mass inflation, as most of the central banks attempt to inflate their way out of this mess.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — April 19, 2020

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April 19th is the original Patriot Day which marks the multiple anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord, known as “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World”. This first battle, leading to our nation’s independence, was the then-dictator’s (United Kingdom King George III’s) failed attempt at “gun control”– an act being carried out in too many parts of our USA right now. This first gun control of the colonies was a failure, because of the will and determination of a small part of the population (about 3% actually fought for our independence actively, with many others supporting) to stand up to an oppressive, controlling government (England). Without the sacrifice by those few Patriots, we could very well still be “British subjects” rather than independent citizens. Note that due to corporate bureaucracy, the celebration has generally been moved to the third Monday in April to facility a postal/banking holiday.

It also marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising against the Nazis in 1943, the BATF’s costly raid on the Branch Davidian Church in Waco, the gun turret explosion on the USS Iowa in 1989, the capture of the Boston Marathon bomber in 2013, and very sadly also the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 88 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 $100 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 88 ends on May 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.

Avoiding Prepping Tunnel Vision – Part 2, by T.Z.

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

One of these consequences was the earthquake igniting several fires all throughout the city. These fires destroyed over 500 blocks; firefighters and first responders struggled to deal with the hundreds of emergencies placed before them. Extinguishing the fires took three days, and it destroyed the faith the people had in the emergency services. The fires destroyed homes and belongings, including important documents. As emergency services moved in, it was difficult – sometimes nearly impossible – for people to prove who they were. They were unable to prove that property, businesses, and capital were theirs, and it left people vulnerable to financial ruin in the future. San Francisco residents never expected to have their homes and documents burned, so they were not prepared for such a catastrophe.

Hundreds massed at the Ferry Building, attempting to leave San Francisco as soon as possible.[8] Few were able to escape the city, causing the rest of the now-homeless San Francisco residents to be trapped in the city. Looters quickly emerged from the rubble, gathering anything that may be of use to them. With 250,000 of the 400,000 San Francisco residents homeless, looting quickly spread throughout the whole city. Chaos ensued, and violence was a natural consequence. Neighbors turned against each other, and those who had nothing turned to the government for help. When looters came across saloons, they got drunk and fought further among themselves and attacked others more frequently. Riots soon followed, and alcohol seemed to be a catalyst for more violence. The majority of San Francisco’s residents were relatively unarmed and untrained, as they did not expect to have to fight for food, water, or shelter in their lifetimes.Continue reading“Avoiding Prepping Tunnel Vision – Part 2, by T.Z.”

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 travel controls to stop the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.

Mutation Could Make COVID-19 Vaccine Search Futile

Reader C.B. sent this from Fox News: ‘Significant’ coronavirus mutation discovered, could make vaccine search ‘futile,’ study says

Are Checkpoints Targeting Out-of-State Residents Legal?

DSV sent this: Covid-19 checkpoints targeting out-of-state residents draw complaints and legal scrutiny

The article begins:

“When the number of coronavirus cases began to skyrocket, several states, including Rhode Island, Florida and Texas, took the unprecedented step of setting up border checkpoints to stop nonresidents who might be carrying the virus.

In Florida and Texas, state troopers are requiring motorists from out of state and their passengers to sign forms promising to self-quarantine for 14 days. Florida, Rhode Island and Texas also require travelers to provide an address where they plan to shelter — and advise them to be prepared for a ­follow-up call or unannounced visit from public health officials.

While the efforts initially targeted residents of New York, which has the most coronavirus cases, they quickly expanded. At local checkpoints for people entering the Florida Keys and North Carolina’s Outer Banks, police ask motorists for ID. Only those with a local address or proof of residency, such as a special resident permit or utility bill, are allowed to proceed.”

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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 “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” – Revelation 6: 1-8 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — April 18, 2020

April 18th is the birthday of Washington Representative Matt Shea. (Born 1974).

On April 18th, 1906, the San Francisco earthquake struck northern California, killing hundreds of people as it toppled numerous buildings and started fires that engulfed whole neighborhoods. The quake was so powerful that it knocked down chimneys in the Anderson Valley, 120 miles north of the city.

The Doolittle Tokyo Raid was on April 18, 1942

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 88 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 $100 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 88 ends on May 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.

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

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Both news media and social media have the ability to quickly spread information all throughout the world. When news of a disaster reaches preppers, we like to quickly find solutions to mitigate risk to ourselves and our loved ones. However, in their zeal to find solutions, many preppers get tunnel vision. They only focus on one or two kinds of disasters, failing to consider the unanticipated consequences that a disaster might have. It is interesting to note that many preppers stockpile food, water, and ammunition, yet underprepare for the second and third order effects of the disaster. In this essay I will show how to prepare for the unanticipated consequences of disasters, using the novel coronavirus response of 2019 in Wuhan, China and the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 (pictured) as case studies.

While preparing for disasters has been immortalized in post-apocalyptic novels and movies, many preppers are influenced by the dramatic aspects of this literature. Trying to get enough food to feed one’s family, fighting off attackers, and finding a clean source of drinking water dominate the post-apocalyptic literature. It follows that some preppers stock up on food, water, and ammunition at the expense of other important preps. While it is extremely important to have enough sustenance and protection, it is also very important to consider what else you might need – the less dramatic, but equally important preps needed to survive.

Every event has a ripple effect. Disasters are the same way – they do not occur in a vacuum. As an example of this, consider the novel coronavirus. Coronavirus is not new; in fact, a type of coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) became an epidemic in 2003. It quickly spread from Asia to North America, South America, Europe, and Asia before the SARS global outbreak was contained.[1] The novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) that is currently spreading throughout the world has spread more quickly and killed more people than the SARS virus of 2003. As it does not currently have a cure or vaccine, governments have been scrambling to prevent the further spread of this deadly virus, and people have reacted with panic. The ripple effect left by COVID-19 continues to bleed further into people’s everyday lives.Continue reading“Avoiding Prepping Tunnel Vision – Part 1, by T.Z.”

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:

While my wife (“Avalanche  Lily”) has been roto-tilling, I’ve been busy chainsawing. This will continue for me intermittently, for several  weeks. There are at least a dozen small dead fallen trees in our wood lot–mostly Tamaracks (Western Larch.)  I’ll also be picking out a few dead-standing trees to harvest. But I will probably wait on dropping a few others that aren’t anywhere near fence lines until next summer. My #2 Son has been helping me with the slash hauling.

I re-constructed another raised garden bed for Lily. I also got a start on a fencing project: a roughly 20% expansion of our main garden to include an additional 25′ x 25′ plot. I plan to finish that fence and a new gate in it, this coming week. Later we will take down some more trees and expand it to be the length of the Main garden.

I’ve also been busy cataloging antique guns for the re-launch of Elk Creek Company, on May 4th. Part of this has been pairing-up some suitably fitting antique leather holsters for many of the revolvers. You see, I often include holsters as bonuses, for my customers. I always try to give my customers a little something extra, for their money. I look at these bonuses as one way of building customer loyalty.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.

A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.

My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.

Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.

For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.

And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed:

And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:

And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.

O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.

The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?

The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.

The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim.

The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.

For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.

For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail:

And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the Lord God of Israel hath spoken it.” – Isaiah 21 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — April 17, 2020

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On April 17, 1961, about 1,500 CIA-trained Cuban exiles launched the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in a failed attempt to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro. Due to the Cuba/Soviet intelligence network as well as loose talk by members of the brigade, which was repeated in US and foreign newspaper reports, the Cuban government knew, in advance, of the planned invasion. The Washington Post also reported that the Soviets knew the exact date of the attack, that the CIA was aware that they knew, and that the CIA did not inform president Kennedy.

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Today’s guest article was too short to be considered as an entry for Round 88 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. And it was written by a personal friend, which also disqualifies it.

Round 88 ends on May 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.

SiOnyx Aurora Color Night Vision Camera Review, by Noctu-Venandi

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Over the years, there have been numerous well-written articles published on SurvivalBlog about the advantages of night vision devices for tactical use. If you haven’t read any of those articles, then I would encourage you to dig into the archives, and study. As a former Marine infantryman it is my opinion that after the requisite beans, bullets and Band-Aids, a quality night vision device should be considered essential kit. In a TEOTWAWKI situation you will want every tactical advantage that you can get and the ability to see in the dark is a game changer.

The most common current military issue night vision monocular, the AN/PVS-14, is the gold standard for individual night vision, unfortunately, it has a price tag to match. (From $2,400 and up to $4,300 depending on the Generation and options.) I was recently at a trade show for shooting enthusiasts and came across the SiOnyx booth. SiOnyx has come up with a revolutionary color night vision monocular camera (two versions, the AURORA I with optional compass and GPS and the AURORA SPORT), the SiOnyx Aurora Color Night Vision cameras start at only $399. So for those on a budget, they are an affordable alternative to the PVS-14. It gives you the ability to discriminate colors in the dark, which is a huge advantage over green monochrome for noticing and identifying specific objects or targets.Continue reading“SiOnyx Aurora Color Night Vision Camera Review, by Noctu-Venandi”