Preparedness Notes for Thursday — January 9, 2020

4

On this day in 1776, writer Thomas Paine published his pamphlet “Common Sense,” setting forth his arguments in favor of American independence. Although little used today, pamphlets were an important medium for the spread of ideas in the 16th through 19th centuries.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 86 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3,000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from veteran-owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  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 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 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.
  3. 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,
  4. A $300 purchase credit for any of the products from EMPShield.com
  5. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  6. 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).
  7. 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. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 86 ends on January 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.

Rocket Water Heater – Part 1, by St. Funogas

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Have you ever considered the things you’d miss most in a TEOTWAWKI situation? I think a nice hot shower has to be pretty high on my list. It is right up there with coffee. So, once I got my nearly-off-grid little cabin built, I set out to build a prototype rocket water heater.

There are a hundred and one different ways to make a rocket water heater (RWH). But as an introduction, I’ll show you how I built mine. I’ll also mention a few things that I wish I had done differently, just to give you some ideas on how you might construct your own. This is one of those projects that gets better the longer you let it ruminate in your mind.

The beauty of a RWH is that not only can you heat a lot of water with just a small amount of firewood, but for many of us, the fuel is free and abundant and will be available long after the grid goes down. When you think of how hot a campfire is, and then think about how much hotter that same fire gets when you blow on it, that same principle is what makes a rocket stove so efficient. By creating its own constant draft, that higher temperature in my RWH will raise the water temperature 25°F in one pass through the heat exchanger. That’s pretty phenomenal.

System Description

Here’s a quick description of how my RWH works: A small pump (12-v, 3 GPM) takes water out of my regular water heater tank, circulates it through a coil of copper tubing which is located inside the chimney of a rocket stove, then returns the heated water back to the water heater tank. Inline thermometers allow me to monitor water temps so I know when to stop adding fuel to the rocket stove. A simple set of valves near my water heater tank lets me heat water with electricity, or turn the valves to either heat water using the rocket stove or my solar water heater.

The Heart of the System: The Copper Coil

The main component of a RWH is a coil of copper tubing. You’ll need a 25-foot coil of type L, ⅜” copper tubing. (Type K has slightly thicker walls, 0.049″ vs. 0.035″, but I have no experience coiling it so can’t speak for it one way or the other.) If you use less than 25’ it will not heat the water as efficiently since it will exit the rocket stove sooner. But that may not necessarily be a detractor in your particular system design.

When you buy the copper tubing, it will come in a coil about 16” in diameter and you’ll need to reduce the coil down to about 4-5” in diameter. It’s very important to do this without producing any kinks. I only know of two ways to accomplish that. Option 1 involves filling the tubing with sand, which I have no experience with so I won’t discuss it. Option 2 is much simpler and involves filling the coil with water and then freezing it.Continue reading“Rocket Water Heater – Part 1, by St. Funogas”

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 phone surveillance.

US Colleges Using Phone Surveillance of Students

Our Editor-At-Large Michael Z. Williamson spotted this: US Colleges Turning Students’ Phones Into Surveillance Devices, Tracking Locations of Hundreds of Thousands. The article begins:

“When Syracuse College freshmen stroll into professor Jeff Rubin’s Introduction to Info Applied sciences class, seven small Bluetooth beacons hidden across the Grant Auditorium lecture corridor join with an app on their smartphones and enhance their “attendance factors.” And once they skip class? The SpotterEDU app sees that, too, logging their absence right into a campus database that tracks them over time and might sink their grade. It additionally alerts Rubin, who later contacts college students to ask the place they have been. His 340-person lecture has by no means been so full.”

New State Laws for 2020

Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site, there was this from USA Today: Don’t throw food in the trash in Vermont, or ask about salary history in New Jersey. Here are 7 state law changes for 2020

Kansas: The Christian Withdrawal Experiment

Reader Paul in Tennessee sent a link to this Redoubtable article at The Atlantic: The Christian Withdrawal Experiment. The article’s subhead: “Feeling out of step with the mores of contemporary life, members of a conservative-Catholic group have built a thriving community in rural Kansas. Could their flight from mainstream society be a harbinger for the nation?”Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — January 8, 2020

1

On this day, in 1835, the U.S. National Debt reached zero for the first and only time.

Please note that the accompanying photo is dated. Distressingly, I must report that about 13 trillion dollars have been added, since then. Here is the current running National Debt tally.  Yes, it now begins with “$23”.

—

January 8th, 1931 was the birthday of the late Algis Budrys (he died on June 9th, 2008). He was the Lithuanian-American science fiction author who wrote the classic survivalist novel Some Will Not Die.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 86 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3,000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from veteran-owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  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 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 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.
  3. 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,
  4. A $300 purchase credit for any of the products from EMPShield.com
  5. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  6. 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).
  7. 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. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 86 ends on January 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.

My One Month TEOTWAWKI Road Test – Part 2, by Maui Dan

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

I was consistent with daily hikes using them for recon practice, making maps, taking notes of locations and observing any nearby people. Judging who I thought may be friends or foes. I did take note of two males in their 20’s who appeared fairly intoxicated early in the afternoon. I hiked for the benefits of physical exercise and enjoyed the quite beauty of the land.

There were several memorable hikes. The day time temperatures were now in the upper 80’s. I wore Timberline hiking boots and stripped down to shorts. Finally found some warm sunshine. Walking alone along Granite mountain, poking the brush, crevices and in the shadows with my walking stick before stepping or reaching in with a hand. Mostly because I read to do that.

One poke hit something soft that made a rattle. Startled, I immediately shifted my feet back and away from the noise. I kept all my pressure on that soft body with my walking stick. My heart was racing. I never saw the snake but hearing & feeling it was plenty. Again, more prayers of an isolated snake encounter.

This could have been life-threatening. At any time, a snake bite is a game changer. I’ve carried a snake bite kit with me for years just because, well because, I’m a Prepper. I am so thankful that I didn’t need it. Prior to leaving Montana, for the first time ever, I actually took my snake bite kit apart and applied it to my arm as a mock trial. My friend’s 12 year old son got a great giggle at how much of my skin was pulled up through the syringe. He also was the one who showed me how to set up my butane camping stove quicker.

I constructed my walking stick several years ago out of 1 1/4 inch PVC pipe, drilled a hole in the distal end cap and glued a short Philips screwdriver with the shaft protruding out. It acts as a probe, weapon, even a screw driver. I also have made several with a traditional rubber end cap for pavement and smooth surfaces.

I fill my walking stick with glow sticks, fishing line, lures and AAA batteries. It has a leather strap with add’l cordage for the handle and it’s wrapped in camo duct tape. The end cap, by the handle of course is not sealed to access my internal supplies. It’s inexpensive and a practical way to carry supplies.

I kept traveling South towards Phoenix, camping and applying for jobs. I had several unsuccessful phone interviews. I utilized several public libraries to fax resumes, charge my phone, laptop and batteries Check out your library, amazing resources, free or inexpensive with very helpful employees.Continue reading“My One Month TEOTWAWKI Road Test – Part 2, by Maui Dan”

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

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Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. The focus is usually on emergency communications gear, bug out bag gear, books and movies–often with a tie-in to disaster preparedness, and links to “how to” self-sufficiency videos. There are also links to sources for both storage food and storage containers. You will also note an emphasis on history books and historical movies. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This week the emphasis is on earthquake preparedness. (See the Books, Movies, Instructional Videos & Vlogs, and Gear & Grub sections.)

Books:

Full-Rip 9.0: The Next Big Earthquake in the Pacific Northwest

o  o  o

Earthquake Strengthening for Vulnerable Homes: A Practical Guide for Engineers, Contractors, Inspectors and Homeowners

o  o  o

Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster

o  o  o

To follow up on my recommendation last week for an AK building book, there is this, for ARs: AR-15 Rifle Builder’s Manual: An Illustrated, Step-by-Step Guide to Assembling the AR-15 Rifle.

o  o  o

The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All for the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II. Here is a description of the book:

“The astonishing, never before told story of the greatest rescue mission of World War II—when the OSS set out to recover more than 500 airmen trapped behind enemy lines in Yugoslavia.

During a bombing campaign over Romanian oil fields, hundreds of American airmen were shot down in Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia. Local Serbian farmers and peasants risked their own lives to give refuge to the soldiers while they waited for rescue, and in 1944, Operation Halyard was born. The risks were incredible. The starving Americans in Yugoslavia had to construct a landing strip large enough for C-47 cargo planes—without tools, without alerting the Germans, and without endangering the villagers. And the cargo planes had to make it through enemy airspace and back—without getting shot down themselves.

Classified for over half a century for political reasons, the full account of this unforgettable story of loyalty, self-sacrifice, and bravery is now being told for the first time ever. The Forgotten 500 is the gripping, behind-the-scenes look at the greatest escape of World War II.”

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Liberty must at all hazards be supported. We have a right to it, derived from our Maker. But if we had not, our fathers have earned and bought it for us, at the expense of their ease, their estates, their pleasure, and their blood.” – John Adams

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — January 7, 2020

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January 7th, 1963 was the birthday of Senator Rand Paul.

—

This is also the birthday of Cresson Kearny (born 1914, died December 18, 2003)

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 86 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3,000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from veteran-owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  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 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 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.
  3. 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,
  4. A $300 purchase credit for any of the products from EMPShield.com
  5. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  6. 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).
  7. 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. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 86 ends on January 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.

My One Month TEOTWAWKI Road Test – Part 1, by Maui Dan

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Backround: I’m a country boy who grew up in the farm land of Western Pennsylvania. I lived in the Amish region, observing their off-grid way of life. I was taught to take care of our animals, and that they would take care of us. Nearly everyone learned to hunt and had a knowledge of basic outdoor skills. I was a Boy Scout and learned “Be prepared.” I was a multi sport athlete in high school and  college where I made life-long friends. I have a career in physical therapy spanning 38 years, and achieved a 4th degree black belt. I’ve been a CPR/First Aid instructor, been a prepper since 1998, and a father of two. I’m now 60 years old a still a sinner saved only by His Mercy and Grace.

After years of serious prepping, saving and working multiple jobs I was able to relocate my family from Hawaii to rural Montana. Fifteen years later we were fairly comfortable. I purchased a log home on a remote wooded 20 acre mountain where deer and elk freely ranged. We had both a deep well and an artesian spring. We had like-minded neighbors, two horses  with tack, three goats, 25 chickens, 600 gallons of stored gas, 200 gallons of diesel, a home generator, two work trucks, gold & silver, a root cellar stocked with two years of supplies, 25 cords of firewood cut & stacked, ammo, various self defense weapons all on protected land. I felt pretty comfortable.

Early on a Monday morning there was a knock at the door and I was served divorce papers. My wife had already packed a truck. I watched her drive my two daughters down the gravel driveway separating our family forever. I fell on my knees, cried, threw up, beat my fists on the floor, cursed myself for not seeing this coming. I blamed myself for not preventing and preparing the most valuable items I ever had. Then I stood up.

Divorce changed everything. It is painful — as it should be. It’s not God’s plan. I didn’t talk, and didn’t listen. So please do, if you read no further than this, do as the Lord’s word says, “Don’t let the sun set on your anger.”

For the past several years I have been working as a traveling physical therapist. I’ve been on the road between Montana’s summers, when I get to be a dad and see my daughters. Then Arizona for the winter months and Hawaii as much as possible. A nomad? Gypsy? No, not even Mad Max. I’m a prepper. I have been since my youth and that won’t change with age or situations. This traveling, homeless lifestyle is quite different than living at a well stocked, fortified retreat. I’m always adapting, ever learning, constantly changing, praying and now always seeking the Lord’s wisdom.Continue reading“My One Month TEOTWAWKI Road Test – Part 1, by Maui Dan”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on trespassing laws. (See the Idaho section.)

Region-Wide

Quietly booming in the Inland Northwest: Three sleeper successes here rank high on Inc. magazine’s fastest growing list.

o o o

Inland Northwest tourism growth likely to remain steady in 2020

o o o

The hottest housing markets of 2020 are far from the coasts

Idaho

Rep. Heather Scott Under Fire for Helping Stop Gun Confiscation of Local Military Veteran

o o o

Tim J. spotted this: Hunter kills mountain lion after it ‘partially consumed’ pet dog

o o o

A trespassing video that I had mentioned a couple of weeks ago was taken down from YouTube because of a “privacy” complaint. But I’m glad to see that it was re-posted by another vlogger: Two Female Bonner County Tax Assessors; Caught Snooping On Private Property. JWR’s Comments:  Public servants need to be held accountable for their actions. And they should have no expectation of privacy–especially when they are exceeding their authority. They had no right to be in that man’s shop–or anywhere on his posted property–without either his permission or a warrant issued by a local judge. You can’t just go traipsing around someone’s private land–and certainly not playing Looky-Loo inside someone’s buildings. Being a government employee grants no such right. Again, they need to either ask permission, or seek a lawful warrant.
o o o

Reader DSV suggested this piece; The Gay Mafia Comes to Idaho

o o o

Why Idaho Democrats Like City Elections?

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

5

“This is what decline is like. People on this side of the great divide like to think the end will be dramatic collapse or tanks in the streets, but that’s unlikely. Instead, it will be fits and starts down the uneven stairs of cultural decline. Trump is one of those steps with a long tread. The next few steps will have high risers and short treads. At some point, elections just stop happening either due to lack of interest or the inability of the political class to stage these made for television dramas.”

“At some point, a crisis will come and the public will have no confidence in the political class to address it. Some faction within the political class will use that to seize power and take control of the system. A temporary suspension of elections will slowly become permanent, as order is restored. America will no longer have the demographics or cultural will to operate the old system. The next step down is some form of authoritarian rule that manages the decline a bit better than the chaos of democracy.” – ZMan, in a The ZMan blog essay:  The Trip Down The Stairs

Ruger Precision .308 Rifle, by Pat Cascio

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I’m sure this will ruffle a lot of feathers, but here goes: Just about any rifle – and even some scoped handguns – can be used as “sniper guns”.

I spend far too much time in my local gun shop, checking out what is new and exciting, and what is used and priced right. Many times, when they are busy, I’ll step behind the counter to lend a hand with gun customers. And, I’ve heard this asked many, many times “do you have any sniper rifles?” and when that question is asked of me, I’ll point to all the long guns on the racks. This confuses people, until I explain what constitutes a so-called “sniper rifle” or “counter-sniper rifle.”

Not all sniping is done at 1,000-yards, some is done as close as 100-yards, and even the lowly .22 LR rifle, can accomplish the task of being a sniper rifle, with just a 4X scope on it – think about it. With very little training, you can sure make a head-shot on a human-sized target at 100-yards with this set-up. Is this an ideal sniper rifle? Surely not! However, it can get the job done. Any high-powered rifle, that is commonly used in deer hunting, can work as a sniper rifle – just takes some training and the use of the right ammo and you can become a sniper. Sniping is done from behind concealment (and hopefully cover, as well). Once in place, you set-up your sniper’s hide and very patiently wait for your target. Most sniping takes place at well under 500-yards. That’s easily accomplished with a high-powered rifle, with a decent scope that is properly on it. You don’t need a $2,500 scope to accomplish this task. A good 3-9×40 scope priced under a hundred bucks can suffice.

Of course, well-trained military snipers have been known to take out a target as far away as a mile, but those are not the usual distances. Rather, they are the extreme. And more often than not, shots at those distances – usually require more than one shot. In a survival situation, we have to look at a lot of different things, before we pull the trigger on someone, who is on our property – maybe they are just lost, and pose no real threat to us. If you drop them at several hundred yards away, you may face murder charges at some point, when law and order are restored – assuming it ever gets restored. On the other hand, a shot or two in the vicinity of someone on your property will more than likely send them running away. Let’s hope so – I don’t know anyone who wants to take another person’s life for no good reason.

So, back to what constitutes a sniper or counter-sniper rifle. It can be any long gun, that is capable of placing the shots where you want them to be. I’ve owned more than a few bolt-action hunting rifles, in various calibers, that could keep my three round groups right at an inch at 100 yards. Some gave me groups a little bigger, and some groups ever smaller – but not by much. A lot has to do with the ammunition, and all guns have their druthers – some shoot great with green/yellow box hunting ammo, and some don’t. It all about taking the time to do some quite deliberate tests. When you find a variety of ammo that shoots consistently in your bolt-action hunting rifle, then stock-up on it.Continue reading“Ruger Precision .308 Rifle, by Pat Cascio”

Letter: Advice on Oxygen and Moisture Absorbing Packets

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Reader C.A. wrote to ask:

I was wondering if you guys had an answer to this or could direct me to the answer: Those oxygen absorber packs that you get inside of food like beef jerky and medication / pill bottles. Can those be re-used for food storage, etc.?

Also, who would you recommend as suppliers for these?

Thanks.

JWR Replies:

There are two quite different types of packets. They usually have identifying markings. The two main types are:

1.) Most of the pill bottles and many electronics come packaged with a silica gel (moisture absorbing) packet and those CAN be gathered up and then re-dried in batches on a cookie sheet in a low oven (175 F) for 8 hours, and re-used. Once they are re-dried you should immediately seal them in Zip-Loc bags, or they will begin to absorb the ambient room moisture, if left out.

2.) The oxygen O2 absorbers found in some food packages use an iron oxide chemical reaction process that starts once they are exposed to oxygen. Those CANNOT be re-used. So just discard those.

O2 Absorbers are available in sealed bags from Readymade Resources. (One of our advertisers)

Silica gel is available in bulk, very inexpensively:  Simply look for unscented Fresh Step brand cat liter box CRYSTALS. Just pour them into socks with a tight weave and either sew them or tie them closed with a rubber band.

I hope this helps. – JWR