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:

This past week was a challenge, but with the help of my incredible wife, I got through it.  As of Friday morning, I was up out of bed and dressed for the first time in nine days. Bronchitis is never fun. Whilst ill, I fell behind on my blog writing. And I foolishly launched my Internet mail order biz (Elk Creek Company) last Saturday, because I falsely concluded that I would soon be well. (Why do I set self-imposed deadlines?) Oh, and to top it all, my publisher in England asked me to make some last minute changes to my book manuscript. Fun, fun, fun. Thankfully, I have an incredible, amazing, lovely, and gracious wife who was able to manage everything else around the ranch, and play Florence Nightingale, and cook tasty meals.  I must say that Avalanche Lily is The Complete Package. I feel truly blessed.

Avalanche Lily Reports:

Dear Readers,
Gee, How am I supposed to follow that, except to say that Jim is my Complete Package!  He is my Manly Man!  And I am truly doubly blessed to be married to him and to share with him the life God has given us to live in this beautiful American Redoubt valley, on our own land, with our own gardens, and livestock, surrounded by gorgeous mountain vistas and rivers, dreams come true… We are truly blessed of the Lord!  God gets all of the praise and thanks!

Despite all of our colds and bronchitis, I did get to accomplish a few things in the area of prepping:Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

1

“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.

But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:

And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.

For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.

And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.” – Malachi 3: 1-12 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — February 7, 2020

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February 7th, 1867, is the birthday of Laura Ingalls Wilder (died February 10, 1957). SurvivalBlog highly recommends the Laura Ingalls Wilder books as well as her biography.

—

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,

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.

Beyond Cooper’s Four Rules by L.K.R.

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Most people know the four rules of firearm safety popularized by Colonel Jeff Cooper:

1.) All guns are always loaded.

This one has a double meaning – (1) always check an “unloaded” firearm yourself and (2) once you’ve checked, still follow all the other rules as though it was loaded.

2.) Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.

This doesn’t mean you’re willing to destroy the wall of your home – just that it’s not catastrophic like pointing at a family member.

3.) Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target.

This is a critical partner for the ‘muzzle’ rule above. It means that you have to violate 2 rules in order to hurt someone – both sweeping a person with the muzzle and having your finger on the trigger.

4.) Be sure of your target.

This is often expanded to “be sure of what is between you and the target along with what is behind your target”. You must know where the bullet will stop.

Let’s expand on these rules and consider some issues faced by almost everyone who owns a firearm:

In the home
  • Even with guns that you know are unloaded – check every time. This is very important when kids are around to demonstrate good habits. It’s also essential when handling firearms around people less familiar than you – putting them at ease and ensuring no problems when they invariably violate the muzzle and/or finger rules.
  • When unloading, first remove the magazine from semi-autos. Then lock the slide back to inspect the chamber. This ensures that racking the slide does not inadvertently chamber a round.
  • Have a safe direction for the muzzle when loading and unloading. Some people keep a 5-gallon bucket of sand in the workshop for this purpose. At least have a safe direction where you won’t penetrate a floor, wall or ceiling into an occupied room or adjacent building.
  • The above muzzle advice is also important when moving firearms in the home. Muzzle “up” may be the best option on your upper floor but muzzle “down” may be the best option downstairs.
  • Dry fire practice is an excellent way to develop good sight, trigger and follow-through skills. The best technique is to aim at a blank wall about a foot away. First unload the firearm and separate the ammo or loaded magazine to a different room. Then double check the chamber and use a wall where nothing important will be damaged if an accident occurs.
  • If you store loaded guns for self-defense, consider having a small safe or lockbox. There are many options that allow fast access via a key code, fingerprint or RFID bracelet. I personally avoid anything with batteries since they can and do fail at inopportune times. I prefer key codes using a Simplex lock – one that is purely mechanical. If you hide firearms in the home, then you may want to keep the chamber empty in case they are found by an unauthorized person. If there is any chance of a child or unstable person finding them, stick with a lockbox or safe.

Continue reading“Beyond Cooper’s Four Rules by L.K.R.”

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 prices of pre-1899 cartridge guns. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold, silver up as the bulls stabilize markets

o  o  o

H.L. sent us this: How Effective Is Gold As a Hedge? History Has an Empirical Answer

Economy & Finance:

2019 US Productivity Rises Most In A Decade, Real Wages Jump Most Since 2015

o  o  o

Another at Zero Hedge: Another Massively Oversubscribed Term Repo Confirms Persisting Liquidity Woes

o  o  o

China faces dilemma as it tries to get back to work amid coronavirus outbreak fears following Lunar New Year

o  o  o

A podcast, at Wolf Street Report: What Will the Coronavirus Do to the US & Chinese Economy?

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“Real prosperity comes from everybody in the country working together in a growth mode. Real prosperity comes as a result of people’s own initiative and efforts and so forth. Prosperity, if it comes from the government, is not prosperity. It’s an existence or a subsistence or whatever, but it isn’t prosperity.” – Rush Limbaugh

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — February 6, 2020

4

Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on February 6th, 1911.

—

An update on the SurvivalBlog 2005-2019 Archive waterproof USB stick mailings: Free replacements for the first 68 sticks (which had a glitch that made them not compatible on some operating systems) have now all been mailed out. Any of you folks that got sticks in that category can simply keep the first one as our gift, to over-write and use for utility purposes. I’m pleased to report that mailings of subsequent orders are continuing apace. Remember: “…allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery” from the day that you placed your order. Thanks for your patience!

Also, please note: The first batch sold out in less than three weeks.  The second (smaller) batch is selling out rapidly, a there may be no more produced in 2020. So if you want to buy a few for gifts, then don’t delay!  They are soon to be a scarce commodity.

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,

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.

Lifeboats Versus Yachts, by Survivormann99

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Most readers of this fine blog are well beyond the preparedness novice level. People in this more advanced category often forget their mindset, questions, and concerns when they first became involved in the field of preparedness. This is the case whether the prepping neophyte is preparing for a few days of inconvenience resulting from an ice storm, or a long-term survival ordeal as a result of a massive attack on the national power grid.

It is also the case that most articles submitted to web sites across the internet are intended for those readers who are far ahead in their journey toward self-sufficiency or preparedness.

From time to time, however, I believe that it is useful to see articles that help those who are taking their first tentative steps in prepping/preparedness. This information can help them to make good choices as they begin their path toward their ultimate objective. As with so many areas of human interest, bad choices at the beginning of the journey will have consequences that negatively impact the result. Here are three assumptions:

  • Let’s assume that you are a typical American and that, for family or compelling professional/financial reasons, you are unable or, simply, unwilling to pull up stakes and to re-locate to an area that will allow you to live an independent, self-sufficient lifestyle.
  • Let’s assume that you are realistic about the fact that your preparedness efforts will involve storing “beans, bullets, and band-aids” and other provisions and equipment for use when times get spicy.
  • Let’s assume that you fully understand that, if/when the “balloon goes up,” you will either make it, or not make it with what you have on hand at the time. You will sink or swim with the resources you have accumulated and that it is likely that the cavalry won’t be coming anytime soon–and perhaps not for a very long time.Continue reading“Lifeboats Versus Yachts, by Survivormann99”

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 the Second Amendment erosion in Virginia.

An Excellent Medical Lecture on the Wuhan Coronavirus

Reader M.M. sent a link to a lecture that removes a lot of conjecture: NCH Healthcare System presents: Coronavirus, A Rapid Evolving Situation with Dr. Gregory Poland. JWR’s Comment: Watching this is well-worth the 48-minute investment of your time!

Treat Burn First With Cool Running Water

Mom was right: To best treat a burn, first cool with running water, study shows.

Virginia Lawmakers Pass 7 Gun-Control Bills, More Coming

DSV sent his one: Virginia Lawmakers Pass 7 Gun-Control Bills With More Coming. The article begins:

“Ten days after over 20,000 peaceful Second Amendment supporters marched in front of the state house in opposition to newly-elected Democrats’ proposed gun-control legislation, Virginia lawmakers approved seven new gun control bills.

Virginia state representatives voted to approve numerous gun-control measures that had been enthusiastically supported by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, ABC News reported.

Similar bills had already passed the state senate and all the gun-control measures pending are expected to quickly receive the Democratic governor’s signature.

One new law will require background checks for all gun sales, including private gun transfers and those bought at gun shows, WTVR reported.”

One Step Closer to a Batsuit for Soldiers

Linked over at the great Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: One Step Closer to a Batsuit for SoldiersContinue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

3

“Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergymen or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven upon Earth.” – John Wesley, Letter to Alexander Mather

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — February 5, 2020

1

On Feb. 5, 1869, the largest alluvial gold nugget in history, called the “Welcome Stranger“, is found in Moliagul, Victoria, Australia.  It weighed a whopping 97.14 kilograms.

—

The flu still has me in its grip.  (Pardon the pun.) So today I’m omitting my usual Recommendations of the Week.

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,

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.

Post-Exposure Prevention (PEP) Protocol, by JJ in MI

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Everyone already knows about the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak so I’ll skip an overview of what it is and why it’s dangerous. No doubt you’re also aware of the CDC’s recommended preventative measures of hand hygiene and avoiding close contact with those who may be infected. You may have also acquired items such as masks, goggles, or gloves (if you didn’t have enough already) as additional preventative measures, and those can help limit exposure when used properly, but they do not provide 100% protection either. You may also have considered social distancing, or even self-quarantine, but that’s not always possible – some will need to go to work, use public transportation, travel by plane, or otherwise interact in relatively close proximity with those that could be infected.

Given what is known so far about the Wuhan Coronavirus it’s probably premature, as well as somewhat socially unacceptable at this point, to don a full array of PPE before going to the grocery store or to the DMV to renew your driver’s license. But if you did suspect that you had been directly exposed to it, such as yourself or a loved one inadvertently getting too close to someone that was displaying the symptoms, is there anything you can do to lessen the chances of contracting it? Maybe, and if there was such a protocol it would be called post-exposure prevention, or PEP. As defined by wikipedia:

“Post-exposure prophylaxis, also known as post-exposure prevention (PEP), is any preventive medical treatment started after exposure to a pathogen in order to prevent the infection from occurring.”.

Currently there isn’t a PEP protocol from the CDC or other authorities for the Wuhan Coronavirus, but I’ll offer a plausible one based on studies done following the SARS and MERS coronavirus outbreaks, and based on those a suggestion for a new item or two you might consider adding to your Every Day Carry or Individual First-Aid Kits.Continue reading“Post-Exposure Prevention (PEP) Protocol, by JJ in MI”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

9

“If we refuse to forgive, we have stepped into dangerous waters. First, refusing to forgive is to put ourselves in the place of God, as though vengeance were our prerogative, not his. Second, unforgiveness says God’s wrath is insufficient. For the unbeliever, we are saying that an eternity in hell is not enough; they need our slap in the face or cold shoulder to “even the scales” of justice. For the believer, we are saying that Christ’s humiliation and death are not enough. In other words, we shake our fists at God and say, “Your standards may have been satisfied, but my standard is higher!” Finally, refusing to forgive is the highest form of arrogance. Here we stand forgiven. And as we bask in the forgiveness of a perfectly holy and righteous God, we turn to our brother and say, “My sins are forgivable, but yours are not.” In other words, we act as though the sins of others are too significant to forgive while simultaneously believing that ours are not significant enough to matter.” – Rev. Voddie T. Baucham, Jr.

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — February 4, 2020

19

On this day in 1789, George Washington became the first and only president to be unanimously elected by the Electoral College. This was repeated on this same day in 1792. Because of the way the early American voting procedure worked, the electors cast two votes with no distinction for president or vice president. Washington was chosen by all of the electors and is considered to have been unanimously elected. Of the others on the ballots, Adams had the most votes and thus became the vice president.

—

I’m now on Day Seven of my flu travail. Since I still haven’t fully recovered, I am omitting Tuesday’s usual News From The American Redoubt column. Thanks for your patience.

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,

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.

Post-TEOTWAWKI Pest Control – Part 2, by J.S.R.

25

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

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) and Lyme disease are two bacterial tick-borne infections of particular concern. The ticks that transmit both of these diseases are found all over the United States. The CDC states that RMSF is most common in Arizona, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. After the three- to twelve-day incubation period, the early signs (days 1-4) of RMSF include a high fever, severe headache, gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, anorexia), and edema around the eyes and on the back of the hands. Two to five days after symptoms begin, the rash associated with RMSF first appears. This rash is diagnostic, but not essential. In other words, the small, flat, pink, non-itchy spots that first appear on the wrists, forearms, and ankles do not occur with other illnesses. This rash sometimes spreads to the trunk, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet, but keep in mind that 10% of patients never develop this rash. When the rash color turns from red to purple, it signals severe progression of the disease. Treatment should have begun long ago. Subsequently appearing are altered mental status, cerebral edema, pulmonary edema and respiratory distress, necrosis (tissue death requiring amputation), and kidney failure. If there is any suspicion of RMSF, begin treatment immediately. Delay may be fatal.

The CDC also indicates that Lyme disease occurs primarily in the New England states. However, there are numerous anecdotal reports of high numbers of people contracting Lyme disease in Utah and Idaho as well. Diagnosis of Lyme disease is difficult because the symptoms are similar to many other illnesses—rashes, headaches, and muscle and joint aches. An incubation period lasting up to thirty days only complicates matters. While recalling a tick bite would facilitate diagnosis, over 60% of patients don’t remember being bitten. The classic early sign is the characteristic bullseye rash around the site of the bite. Other early common signs are meningitis or inflammation of the heart muscle. Unfortunately, these won’t be easily identified outside a hospital setting. Symptoms of severe arthritis involving multiple joints and chronic meningitis—headaches, problems in thinking clearly, and sleepiness—appear later.

Continue reading“Post-TEOTWAWKI Pest Control – Part 2, by J.S.R.”