Kimber America Pro CDP II 1911, by Pat Cascio

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It’s difficult to keep up with all the various 1911 handguns that Kimber America produces these days. However, they produce and sell more 1911 handguns than any other maker – or so I’m told. However, there are several 1911 makers in the Philippines that produce a lot of 1911s. For the sake of argument, we’ll say that Kimber is the largest producer of 1911 handguns in the USA.

I still remember when Kimber first came on the scene, and their very first 1911 was a full-sized Government Model. This pistol had all the bells and whistles than 1911 lovers wanted, and paid gunsmiths to perform on a stock-box 1911. You can check out the history of Kimber on the Internet for more information, or their web site. The only thing I didn’t care for, and everyone else wondered about, were the cheap rubber grips Kimber was putting on those guns – when everything else was first class in all respects. Most buyers of the first Kimber 1911s simply replaced the cheap rubber grips – I know I did. Otherwise, these were some of the finest, if not “the” finest production 1911s to come out of any 1911 factory, and you didn’t have to do anything to them. They were ready for combat right out of the box.

Long-time readers will know that I love the 1911, and even with all the new guns I test, or purchase for my own use, I still would grab a 1911 as my one and only handgun – if that’s all I could have – for the rest of my life. However, my thinking is starting to change. It is hard to teach an old dog new tricks – but there are several other handguns on my list, if I could only own one for the rest of my life. However, for the time being, a 1911 would still be my first choice – in .45 ACP – of course.

It didn’t take Kimber very long to realize that, they were really onto something, with a “custom”-featured 1911, right out of the box, and buyers wanted more than just one model. I can’t begin to keep count, but I think Kimber is probably producing around 100 different models. (The line-up changes all the time.) It is safe to say though, that they are producing full-sized models, Commander-sized models and Officers-sized models – so there is something for everyone and every need. If you can’t find what you want on the Kimber web site – then it is probably just a figment of your imagination and no one is producing it.Continue reading“Kimber America Pro CDP II 1911, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Susan’s Favorite Bread

Reader Susan M. kindly sent us her favorite bread recipe:

Ingredients
  • 2 1/2 tsp. dry yeast
  • 3 1/2 cup flour (or substitute 2 1/2 c. bread flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour or whatever flours you like; rye, wheat germ, plain AP)
  • 1 1/4 cup milk (reconstituted nonfat dry milk works)
  • 1/4 lb. butter (or shortening)
  • 1/4 c. sugar (or honey)
  • 1 T. molasses
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 egg
Directions
  1. Heat milk, honey, butter, salt until shortening begins to melt (115-120 degrees).
  2. In large bowl, comine 2 cups flours, with yeast. Mix well with wet ingredients.
  3. Stir in enough flour to make a soft dough. Kneed for approximately 10 min.
  4. Let rise until double. Punch down and shape into whatever you need. I often make smaller rolls and then make hamburger buns shape on the same baking pan.
  5. Let rise again until double in size.
  6. Brush tops with butter if you choose and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 12-15 minutes.
Notes

This dough can be used with more sweetener for sweet rolls, as is for crescent rolls, or with less sugar and more salt for a French type loaf, it can also be made in a loaf pan, but I find making sandwich buns easier than cutting a loaf. A favorite of my kids was putting bacon pieces, cooked with onions and dark mustard, and horseradish

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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 Bitcoin volatility. (See the Forex & Cryptos section.)

Precious Metals:

For those of you who took my advice and bought rhodium: This current spike to $10,000 per ounce is a good time to sell. As always: Buy low, and sell high.

o  o  o

Greyerz: The Crisis Will Sink Stocks And Propel Gold

Economy & Finance:

At Zero Hedge: Covid-19 Contagion – An “Unprecedented” Moment For Our Hyper-Connected Planet

o  o  o

Reuters: Electric dream: Britain to ban new petrol and hybrid cars from 2035

o  o  o

At Wolf Street: Median CPI Runs Hot, Fed Averts Eyes

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“The American military experience in World War I and the influenza pandemic were closely intertwined. The war fostered influenza in the crowded conditions of military camps in the United States and in the trenches of the Western Front in Europe. The virus traveled with military personnel from camp to camp and across the Atlantic, and at the height of the American military involvement in the war, September through November 1918, influenza and pneumonia sickened 20% to 40% of U.S. Army and Navy personnel. These high morbidity rates interfered with induction and training schedules in the United States and rendered hundreds of thousands of military personnel non-effective. During the American Expeditionary Forces’ campaign at Meuse-Argonne, the epidemic diverted urgently needed resources from combat support to transporting and caring for the sick and the dead. Influenza and pneumonia killed more American soldiers and sailors during the war than did enemy weapons.” – Carol R. Byerly, PhD., from the introduction to her paper The U.S. Military and the Influenza Pandemic of 1918–1919

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — February 16, 2020

February 16th is the anniversary of U.S. Lieutenant Stephen Decatur’s “Most daring act of the age” as British Admiral Horatio Nelson called it. The Muslim pirates from the Barbary states – Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, and Tripolitania, had been leading raids against U.S. flagged ships, stealing the cargo and ransoming the crew back to the U.S. at exorbitant price. After two years of minor raids, President Thomas Jefferson ordered U.S. navy vessels to the Mediterranean Sea to engage them. The U.S. frigate Philadelphia ran aground near Tripoli and was captured. On February 16th, 1804, Lt. Decatur led an expeditionary force into Tripoli harbor to destroy the captured American vessel before it could be used to the Tripolitan advantage. Seventy-four men, including nine U.S. Marines, sailed into the harbor, boarded the ship, attacked its crew, capturing or killing all but two, then set fire to the frigate and escaped without the loss of a single American. The Philadelphia subsequently exploded when its gunpowder reserve was lit by the spreading fire.

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February 16th is also the birthday of Edgar John Bergen, (1903-1978) an American actor, comedian, and radio performer, best known for his proficiency in ventriloquism and his characters Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd. He is also the father of actress Candice Bergen.

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Today, in lieu of a feature-length article I’m posting two letters from SurvivalBlog reader ShepherdFarmerGeek. I consider them both important reading. – JWR

Letter: Elderberry and Wuhan

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Dear SurvivalBloggers:
Just a quick note concerning Elderberry syrup and the Wuhan coronavirus (now named “COVID-19”) that I didn’t want to get lost in the extensive comments about the virus at https://survivalblog.com/post-exposure-prevention-pep-protocol-jj-mi/ and https://survivalblog.com/letter-wuhan-virus-shepherdfarmergeek/ :

  1. Normally, with flu, elderberry syrup is a positive and helps fight the virus.https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190423133644.htm“Sambucol Elderberry Extract and its formulations activate the healthy immune system by increasing inflammatory cytokine production.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11399518

  1. However, “…elderberry also enhances cytokine response, which may not be so good when one of the complications of pandemic influenza is cytokine storm.”

https://vancouversun.com/news/staff-blogs/high-dose-vitamin-d-and-elderberry-syrup-for-flu-treatment

  1. And here we have that immune dysfunction also showing up with COVID-19

“In most moribund [dying] patients, 2019-nCoV infection is also associated with a cytokine storm…”

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30305-6/fulltext

See this video at 19:42 for a description of what a cytokine storm does:

“Zhou Zheng (周正), an expert in respiratory medicine at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in Hunan Province, said one feature of 2019-nCoV infection is that patients can develop moderate symptoms in the first two days of infection but can become seriously ill on the third day or later. Attributing this to the phenomenon of cytokine storm — a high level of circulating inflammatory cytokines — Zhou said the novel coronavirus can stimulate the body’s immune system, which can further damage the cells. “A normal immune system protects, but an over-active immune system can not only damage the lungs but also other organs, including the kidneys, liver and heart,” he said.”

JWR Adds: The cytokine storm syndrome explains why the Spanish Flu killed nearly as many young people as it did elderly ones. I’ve now come to the conclusion that there is now no way to stop the Wuhan Virus from becoming widespread in the U.S. Canada, and Mexico. There will probably be successive waves of it, in 2020, 2021, and possibly beyond. During the worst of those outbreaks, we must be prepared to hunker down in family isolation. And of course a good healthy diet, exercise, a regular sleep schedule, proper hydration, and consistent intake of vitamins C and D3 as well as Magnesium will be crucial. And for any of you readers who still smoke or vape: You must quit completely now, or your statistical chances of surviving a COVID-19 infection are quite low.

https://focustaiwan.tw/sci-tech/202002090008

  1. Moral of the story: Elderberry syrup, a prime tool in the arsenal against seasonal flu, might not be helpful against this Wuhan coronavirus. Might even make it worse. It’s probably too soon to tell, so keep a watch out for news about a connection.
  2. Note that melatonin apparently has an influence on the immune system that might reduce the potential for a cytokine storm (if you’re a mouse at least), and other herbs and supplements may have the ability to rein in the immune system overreaction (in a worst-case scenario where professional medical care is unavailable):

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464619302452?via%3Dihub

Trust God. Be prepared. We can do both!

– ShepherdFarmerGeek

 

Letter: Acclimate to Wearing N95 Masks!

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Dear Prepper Friends and Family,
As someone who sleeps with a CPAP machine running every night I’ve grown accustomed to the strangeness of having a mask on my face. Even more so, when I exhale the mask fills with hot breath and it feels as if I’m suffocating. When I inhale, however, I get clean, fresh air and it’s all okay. But I had to train myself to not struggle with it.

We’re all going to run into this situation with N-95 filter masks if and when the time comes to wear them whenever we go out in public, to protect ourselves from catching this COVID-19 virus. Wearing these masks gets uncomfortable p-r-e-t-t-y fast. The inside of the mask fills with hot / humid air, and then when you inhale you get fresh, cool air. (It’s worse with masks that don’t have an exhalation valve!)

My advice to you would be to pick one of your masks (hopefully you have a decent supply) and try wearing it. Start out for short periods of time, maybe just a minute while you’re watching television or reading a book (something not requiring physical exertion!). Then work your way up to wearing a mask for 15 -to- 20 minutes, the amount of time you might have to wear it to go into a store to make a purchase once the virus turns up in our communities.

You can’t be taking the mask off when the danger is high, just because you’re uncomfortable. Some of you might have a strong reaction to wearing a mask and having the suffocation feeling. You need to work through that, get used to it, train yourself that it’s okay.

You can’t be fiddling with the mask, or cheating by lifting it to get a breath of “fresh air.” If there’s really a virus danger the outside of the mask will have hundreds if not thousands of virus particles stuck to it and disturbing them will be a bad idea.

Don’t forget that this virus has proven itself to be extremely contagious (even contagious disease experts have gotten themselves infected!). And that the CDC has just recently agreed that asymptomatic carriers are a real thing. The people around you might have few mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, but still be able to spread the infection. You just won’t know.

The N-95 masks are simple, fairly foolproof (nothing is “foolproof” because fools are so clever), and effective. So when the time comes it’s a smart thing to use. Please don’t settle for anything less than a mask officially rated at N-95 or N-100.

Don’t wait until the last minute to have a mask supply, and don’t wait until the last minute to acclimate yourselves to the strangeness of wearing one!

Trust God. Be prepared. We can do both!

ShepherdFarmerGeek

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 more Wuhan news: a mandatory 14-Day Quarantine.

Coronavirus: Beijing Orders 14-Day Quarantine for Returnees

Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site, there is this report: Coronavirus: Beijing orders 14-day quarantine for returnees. A snippet:

“Beijing has ordered everyone returning to the city to go into quarantine for 14 days or risk punishment in the latest attempt to contain the deadly new coronavirus, state media report.

Residents were told to “self-quarantine or go to designated venues to quarantine” after returning to the Chinese capital from holidays.

The measure came as Egypt confirmed the first coronavirus case in Africa.

Over 1,300 people have died from the virus, which originated in Wuhan city.

The notice on Friday from Beijing’s virus prevention working group was issued as residents returned from spending the Lunar New Year in other parts of China.

The holiday was extended this year to help contain the outbreak.”

CDC Director: Wuhan is Coming

J.L. suggested this, at Zero Hedge: ‘It’s Coming’: CDC Director Warns Coronavirus To Become Widespread Throughout United States, ‘Probably Beyond 2020’. A key quote:

“‘We don’t know a lot about this virus,’ Redfield told CNN‘s Dr. Sanjay Gupta. ‘This virus is probably with us beyond this season, beyond this year, and I think eventually the virus will find a foothold and we will get community-based transmission.'”

Los Alamos Study: Wuhan More Infectious Than First Estimated

Some sobering reading from the folks at Los Alamos National Laboratory:  The Novel Coronavirus, 2019-nCoV, is Highly Contagious and More Infectious Than Initially Estimated

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;

And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

Rejoice evermore.

Pray without ceasing.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” – 2 Thessalonians 5: 1-18 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — February 15, 2020

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Today, I’d like to wish Mike Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large) a Happy Birthday!

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Gun developer Richard “Dick” Casull was born on February 15, 1931. Casull passed away peacefully at home on May 6, 2018 after a long battle with cancer. Dick Casull is most famous for his design of the .454 Casull revolver, along with many other handgun and rifle designs. He held 17 firearm patents.

Frequent Firearms Practice, by Keystone Scout

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In times of high stress nobody “rises to the occasion”.  Instead, we all sink to our training and competency.

Everyone has heard this statement in one form or another, but it is worth repeating.  Competency of a skill requires repetition.  I have spent significant range time with individuals in law enforcement.  I do not remember a single encounter when I have, not only been more competent, but also been complemented on my level of skill. I do not say this to brag but to help other individuals with a preparedness mindset because I believe everyone can achieve a high competency with a modern carry pistol.  The way this is accomplished is through “brief yet frequent” practice sessions.  I define this concept more definitively as, “A brief practice session between 30 and 45 minutes, typically alone, in which one expends approximately 100 rounds of ammunition”.

Why such a brief time?  Simply put – if you don’t use it you lose it.  The goal is to conduct this session at least twice a month.  Studies have proven that we all lose interest after a certain amount of time and then diminishing returns set in.  Also, the use of ammunition will be more cost effective if you focus on certain drills which we will explore later.  To summarize, handgunning is a quickly perishable skill.  I guarantee that without regular practice the individual who pays for a top shelf intensive training will have highly degraded skill after just a few short months if they are not regularly getting trigger time.

Why alone?  This is your time.  Inevitably your focused practice session will become a social hour (or two) when company is along.  You start competing, tell stories, whatever.  This range time is for you to do one thing – personally get better.  Yes, the range sessions where you clear out the safe and give everyone a run is extremely fun and exhilarating.  But generally, it isn’t building the long-term skill that can make a difference in time of need.  Instead you should look at this as time for yourself.  Focus.

Don’t take more than two pistols with you but don’t take less than two.  Having many with you will screw up the muscle memory.  Why not one?  Well while you’re shooting you should also have another loaded (more on safety at the range later).  The goal of these practice sessions is to familiarize yourself with the tool to the point that it is second nature.  Nearly an extension of your body.  Pride yourself in knowing your skill is improving and that you don’t have to show it every time.  That’s what concealed carry is all about anyway right?  Make sure your training complements the hidden nature of your weapon.

Budget yourself.  This “regular yet frequent” concept requires at minimum 2,000 rounds per year of your chosen caliber.  For better results it’ll probably turn out to be near 2,500 or 3,000.  This is approximately $350 (at least in 9mm for current prices at the moment).  Start thinking about your budget. What can you cut out easily?  We all are guilty of being frivolous with our hard-earned cash at some point throughout the year.  Cut out the coffee, impulse buys, etc. and you easily have enough for your yearly skill maintenance as well as additional to put away for the rainy days ahead.

Last comment about money – the price is still right for most ammunition right now – stack your practice ammo deep.  Also, budget the time in your schedule.  Be efficient with errands, chores, work, and family time and you can make it to the range more often.  I also am a proponent of carrying “fresh” carry ammo.  Not so much for the fact that modern ammo “goes bad” (it doesn’t) but this allows you to fire a couple magazines of high-octane defense ammo two or three times a year.  Furthermore, running your defensive round will ensure that it cycles well in your gun.  As for the training ammo you will want to at least go for the same bullet weight so that recoil is at least relatively the same (yes, I’m aware there are many other factors that go into that formula).Continue reading“Frequent Firearms Practice, by Keystone Scout”

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’m still recovering from bronchitis, but now nearly back to normal. On Tuesday, I made a one-day 480 mile round trip drive to go pick up ten antique guns for my Elk Creek Company inventory. Even with the substantial expense for fuel, it was still much less expensive than paying for UPS shipping for ten guns. And of course there were no worries about them getting stolen in transit. I also took the opportunity to stop by a Costco warehouse, on my drive home.

My energy level for heavy outdoor chores is still low. But on Thursday I did help Lily shift some lumber in the greenhouse, and I helped her with filling some of the  greenhouse thermal mass water barrels.  (These were formerly olive shipping barrels, that we bought as surplus, from Eagle Peak Containers, in Athol, Idaho.)

Between my blog writing and the task related to cataloging and photographing the antique guns for my mailorder biz, I kept very busy this past week.

I’m hoping to be fully back to normal this coming week, but recovering from this illness has taken longer than usual. The only good news is that it has left my immune system at a high state of readiness.

And now, over to Lily…

Avalanche Lily Reports:

Dear Readers,

This week we had three days of beautiful sunshine and temperatures in the high 30s and low 40s.  It felt like spring. I was out in it, doing many chores.

This week for preps, I went out to the greenhouse and topped off our row of 50-gallon barrels with water.  The barrels are being used as heat reservoirs for the greenhouse. During the past two years they had lost between a quarter and a third of their volume, therefore needed to be replenished.  I also placed black plastic around the barrels to absorb more heat from the sun.

I went to town and bought rolls of row cover to cover my garden seedlings this coming summer to give them more warmth for growth.  Many of my plants will benefit from the heat retained from the day through the night, since our nights are typically quite cool here in the summer.

I also bought some very large clear deep totes to use as a third layer in the greenhouse. I will plant my seeds in trays, place the large tote over the tray and put it into the hooped bed in the greenhouse.  The hooped bed has hot manure under the soil which should add some extra warmth, as it decomposes.Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And the Lord said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:

And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:

Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.

And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.

For the Lord had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.

And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.

And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.

And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.

And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.

And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.

And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.

Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.

And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.

For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.

And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.” – Exodus 33: 1-17 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — February 14, 2020

February 14, 1942 was the birthday of Prepper/Economist Dr. Gary North.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 87 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $10,000 worth of 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 $300 purchase credit for any of the products from EMPShield.com
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. 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).
  6. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Good2GoCo.com is providing a $400 purchase credit at regular prices for the prize winner’s choice of either Wise Foods or Augason long term storage foods, in stackable buckets.
  2. 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)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. A transferable $100 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

Round 87 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The TEOTWAWKI Garden, by M.C.

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When TEOTWAWKI happens, none of us know how it’s going to go down. Will it be a natural destructive force or world war? An asteroid or weapons of mass destruction? Massive starvation or biological warfare? Maybe you’ll have to bug out and leave home. Or maybe you’ll have to stand your ground and defend what’s yours. We have no idea what the world will be like, only that it will be different.

Regardless of how it happens, after TEOTWAWKI, all aspects of survival need to be considered. Of course, hunting, fishing, and foraging for edibles are necessary. And of course, be prepared with non-perishable foods and MREs. But long-term survival requires more. It requires a renewable food source that provides a wide range of nutrients and minerals, preferably in the form of fresh foods.

And that’s exactly what gardening does. Sure, gardening provides fresh fruits and vegetables to consume now, but if you grow surplus, it also provides food for preserving for times when fresh foods are not available. What’s more, gardens can also provide medicine, as well as feed for livestock, such as bees, rabbits, and chickens. This can expand your renewable food source to include sugar, meat, and eggs.

But let’s be realistic. What we think of as traditional gardening is most likely not going to be possible after TEOTWAWKI. First, our “modern” gardens are labor intensive. If a backyard garden were truly going to provide enough food to sustain a family, it would take hours in weeding and managing, something that most likely can’t be done in a world post-TEOTWAWKI.

In addition, many of the vegetables we grow in our gardens today take three or more months to reach fruition and a long-term commitment isn’t something that may be possible after SHTF. To make matters even more difficult, modern gardening isn’t designed to self-propagate, which means more working overtime to keep things growing and producing.

And then there’s the fact that a traditional garden, with its nice neat rows and lines, is easy to see. And, if we’re planning for the worst, having strangers see your food source isn’t something we want to happen, as they could steal or destroy it, both of which could be detrimental if you’re planning on it as a major part of your food supply.

So we can agree that traditional gardening is most likely out and not realistic for TEOTWAWKI. But here’s the thing:  Humans will return to growing plants for food. It may be right after the SHTF or it maybe five or ten years down the road. But when you’re talking long-term survival, gardening will most likely have a role to play.

That’s why you should start now. Gardening gives you good practice in learning to see life from a plant’s point of view and allows you to work on your green thumb, which can take longer than many realize to develop. Gardening also gives you the opportunity to get some growing spots established for future use, just in case you need them, but more on that in a bit.

What to Grown in Your TEOTWAWKI Garden

When it comes to gardening, most people tend to grow the same types of things: tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli, cabbage. But in a post-disaster world, you’re not going to want to follow that same path. As mentioned previously, many of the plants grown in gardens today aren’t the best option for your TEOTWAWKI garden. They take too long to grow, they don’t have a long shelf life, and they don’t self-propagate. Plus, depending on where you live, many of these plants may not necessarily thrive in your post-TEOTWAWKI environment.

So let go of what you expect your garden to be filled with, and, instead, consider growing some of these.Continue reading“The TEOTWAWKI Garden, by M.C.”