Preparedness Notes for Saturday – November 17, 2018

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On this day in 1777, the Articles of Confederation were submitted to the states for ratification. They differed from the Constitution in that they emphasized the primacy of the states. This brings to mind the dangers of convening a Constitutional Convention, because the last time this happened the Articles of Confederation were thrown out and totally replaced by the Constitution. Do you honestly believe that our politicians today could craft a document that so thoroughly protects the rights of the individual as they did then?

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SurvivalBlog has heard the feedback from our readers about our new Classified Ads section. While the ads are doing well and things are getting sold regularly, we are changing things to encourge more participation. You can now list your items for free (without pictures). Meanwhile, the price of the full feature ads (with pictures) have dropped to only $4. There is also an option for additional pictures if you need more to illustrate the items you are selling.

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With Black Friday coming up, be sure to visit our regular advertisers (in the right column and also the text ads between articles.) If you can’t find what you need from them, then you can also check out our new Affiliates page. If you click on one of those links and place and order, then SurvivalBlog will get a small commission, which will help us keep the lights on.

Guest Post: Asymmetrical Warfare and 4GW: How Militia Groups are America’s Domestic Viet Cong- Part 1

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This article first appeared on the Ammo.com web site.  It is re-posted with permission. If you’re looking for great prices on good ammo, you need to check their site out!

“It is interesting to hear certain kinds of people insist that the citizen cannot fight the government. This would have been news to the men of Lexington and Concord, as well as the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan. The citizen most certainly can fight the government, and usually wins when he tries. Organized national armies are useful primarily for fighting against other organized national armies. When they try to fight against the people, they find themselves at a very serious disadvantage. If you will just look around at the state of the world today, you will see that the guerillero has the upper hand. Irregulars usually defeat regulars, providing they have the will. Such fighting is horrible to contemplate, but will continue to dominate brute strength.”

Col. Jeff Cooper

When one discusses the real reason for the Second Amendment – the right of citizens to defend themselves against a potentially tyrannical government – inevitably someone points out the stark difference in firepower between a guerilla uprising in the United States and the United States government itself.

This is not a trivial observation. The U.S. government spends more on the military than the governments of China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, India, France, United Kingdom, and Japan combined. Plus, the potential of a tyrannical government is arguably upon us – with the federal government spying on its own citizens, militarizing local police departments with equipment and tactics from the War on Terror, and repeatedly searching Americans, which desensitizes them to this invasive process.

Continue reading“Guest Post: Asymmetrical Warfare and 4GW: How Militia Groups are America’s Domestic Viet Cong- Part 1”

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. Steadily, we work on meeting our prepping goals. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities. They also often share their planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, property improvements, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year. We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

JWR

Dear SurvivalBlog Readers:

Turkey slaying season is in full swing (pardon the pun), here at the Rawles Ranch. Some of the dozen Toms and Hens that we raised this year are for our own consumption, but most are being given as Thanksgiving gifts to neighbors and friends. (Before then, they will already be gutted, plucked, cleaned, and chilled.) There is nothing quite like butchering a turkey outdoors on a sunny but very cold day. Recently it has been so cold that I can’t wait to have a turkey stop flapping. Then I can empty its lower abdomen into the gut bucket and then have the opportunity to plunge my hands into the chest cavity, to warm them. Yes, it has been that cold.  As the fictional Han Solo famously said: “This is gonna smell bad, kid, but it’ll keep you warm…”

Avalanche Lily Reports:

Ewwwww, Jim!  Did you have to write that?

Yes, we had a second round of butchering this week.  It was more peaceful, because we were a bit more prepared physically (more organized with equipment and familiar with the plan of steps for  butchering and cleaning of the birds) and emotionally ready for it.  Remember: When you haven’t butchered something for almost a whole year, you have to give your brain and muscle memory a kickstart. We have now reestablished the routine which makes it easier.  We will be doing in a couple of more batches of birds during this coming week.  We believe in the division of labor for many jobs.  In this case, Jim, does the killing, main gutting, plucking, or skinning, and brings them to the house.  Here, at the kitchen sink, I finish gutting out the lungs, kidneys, extra fat, skin flaps and wash the bird thoroughly.  I then either bag it for whole chickens/turkeys or cut up the birds, for legs, breasts, and wings.  We usually freeze our meat. If we chop up the birds, the left over carcasses get turned into chicken broth.  I boil them down for two to three days with a little bit of apple cider vinegar.  I then strain the broth and freeze it.

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

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 “HJL”. There is a newcomer in the tactical tourniquet market that shows some real promise today.

Awesome Company to Work For

Reader R.S. sent in this article about a Wisconsin family owned business that sounds pretty great to work for. The company produces wiskey, beer and shot glasses with a decorative bullet embedded in them. During a company meeting last month, the company announced that they wanted to give their employees a gift that they could use for personal protection. They decided to give $500 towards the purchase of any firearm that the employee wanted. All 16 of the staff were allowed to pick out any firearm at any local gun shop. If you spent less than $500, you could use the remaining money for any firearm accessories. The staff is a mixture of veterans, experience gun owners and first-time gun buyers. Now that’s a great company!

Tactical Tourniquet

I typically carry a CAT tourniquet in my kit as they have always been one of the best. As an EMT though, I learned that you have to be careful when buying these as the airsoft industry has created cheap look-alikes that will typically break when used. When your bleeding out is not the time to find out that your tourniquet isn’t a real one. Anyways, one of my complaints of the CAT tourniquet is how difficult it can be to put on one-handed. Not being a combat veteran, I’ve never had to use one this way, but I’ve always practiced the skill. It is difficult to teach that to someone who won’t practice regularly though. Now, reader G.P. sent in this article profiling a new tourniquet that promises to be just as effective and much easier to use one-handed. I’m definitely going to get a couple of these to try out.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.” – Genesis 28:10-15 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday – November 16, 2018

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November 16th is the birthday of Michael D. Echanis (born 1950, died September, 1978), a former United States Army Special Forces and 75th Ranger Battalion enlisted man. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with “V” device as a LRRP in the Vietnam War. He was born and raised in eastern Oregon. Echanis was killed while working for the CIA in Nicaragua in 1978 in a plane crash along with his colleague Charles Sanders and members of the Nicaraguan armed forces. There was conjecture that the plane was destroyed in flight by a saboteur’s bomb. JWR’s novel Survivors includes a minor character from Oregon with the surname Echanis, as a small homage to Mike Echanis.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 79 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 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 Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  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 gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  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).

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 79 ends on November 30th, 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.

Making The Hard Decisions Somewhat Easier- Part 3, by Old Bobbert

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We are in the midst of the third example in our consideration of making hard decisions whether to go or not go in a crisis situation. I am using scenarios to illustrate the decision processes.

Scenario #3: Small Town, Patriotic Family (continued)

This time we are looking at a small town, patriotic family that works together to run an Internet-based business from home. Let’s get to know them and their circumstances in this scenario better.

Work and Finances

The sons were taught by example to work hard and to be a deliberate saver first and only then to be a spender. Henry, the father, worked diligently at being aware of the ever-changing twists and turnings of the financial markets as a regular part of his work. Those efforts to stay aware of market trends for the book re-sale business also created an important point of knowledge concerning alertness toward national and area potential SHTF situations. Being preparedness minded was a daily condition through the entire family.

The Community

When Chicago followed New York and Washington into the sudden power outage darkness, Henry and Mom became very concerned. Their little (imaginary) town of Masonville, Utah was considered to be top level, semi-rural good living. The community college was basically a solidly conservative bastion of so-called over-achievers who were mostly believers in strong moral values with a strong dash of country style, common sense, and good ethics to boot.

The college student community was a growing good source of quality used books to buy for resale, and of students who needed his good quality used books. Most of their neighbors had been raised to put up stores and things for future usage.  They spoke the “be prepared” language  to children and to one another.

Sincere preparedness and charity to the needy was generally a community way of life. Being a college town made the national news a regular conversation topic, especially when the terrorists were thought to be responsible for the current power grid shutdowns.

Continue reading“Making The Hard Decisions Somewhat Easier- Part 3, by Old Bobbert”

Letter: Surviving California’s Fires

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Hugh,

I live in a house that has a commanding view of a very large canyon in Southern California. Last Thursday night at 11:20 p.m., I received a mandatory evacuation order on my cell phone and on my TV. I could see the sky lit brightly to the east of the canyon, but I judged the fire to be approaching slowly enough that I had time to gather things. I turned on my sprinkler system and tried to give my property a good soaking so as to increase the chances of avoiding destruction.

It was a “hybrid bug out.” I didn’t have to run for the car or pickup in order to evacuate with only a bug out bag, and I didn’t have a day or more to load up a trailer. I used what time I had to gather personal items, such as photographs, mementos, and important documents. I tried to select items that could not be replaced, or which were not going to be covered by insurance.

I found myself suffering from “decisional fatigue,” that is, there were just so many choices to be made that I simply stopped making them. I realized later that I should have and could have taken many more items than I did.

The Santa Ana winds were howling and were driving cinders and embers everywhere. Gusts of up to 60 mph were reported by the media. I had the feeling that I was part of “The Last Days of Pompeii.”

Continue reading“Letter: Surviving California’s Fires”

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. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on exotic ammo. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

 

Precious Metals:

David Morgan: Market Has “Given Up” On Silver, So What’s Next?

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Pound Falls 2.5% Against Gold As UK Government In Turmoil Over Brexit

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Silver Price, The SPX And Sanity

 

Economy & Finance:

I missed this article when it ran last month: Trade tensions could trigger another global financial crisis, but investors appear complacent, IMF says. (Just keep in mind the agendas of both the IMF and CNBC.)

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The economic effects of Brexit: Evidence from the stock market

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Naked Capitalism: As the Fed Tightens, Where Will the Credit Crunch Pinch First?

 

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Having over 40% of all the money in the market being managed by computers gives a huge boost to returns during a bull market. But when the selling starts, computers don’t think. Their algorithms will automatically sell and flash crashes will abound. Once fear replaces greed, the wave of computer selling will overwhelm those trying to actively manage their portfolios. Then the record level of margin debt will result in margin calls and a further wave of selling. The clueless 401k investor will see their retirement savings sliced by 40% in the blink of an eye.

It’s not a matter of if, but when the tsunami of selling will make the 2008 crisis look like a walk in the park. There are numerous other potential triggers which could cause or exacerbate the next financial crisis. Excess leverage always creates catastrophe. When you have $8 trillion of emerging market debt, a rising dollar, rising interest rates, and record low risk premiums, the fuse on the fireworks has already been lit.

We know the 2008 crisis was primarily driven by the implosion of subprime mortgage debt and derivatives of mass destruction tied to those mortgages. Talking heads on CNBC and spokes-models on Bloomberg are nonchalant about record high home prices because the amount of subprime mortgages is much lower than 2008. What they fail to acknowledge is the immense issuance of subprime auto, credit card, corporate, and student loan debt to borrowers incapable of repaying that debt.” – Jim Quinn, in his The Burning Platform blog

Preparedness Notes for Thursday – November 15, 2018

On this day, Charles Dickens published the final installment of A Tale of Two Cities in Dickens’ circular.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 79 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 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 Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  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 gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  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).

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 79 ends on November 30th, 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.

Making The Hard Decisions Somewhat Easier- Part 2, by Old Bobbert

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Okay, we are at the second example in our consideration of making hard decisions whether to go or not go in a crisis situation. I am using scenarios to illustrate the decision processes. This time we will be looking at bugging out from a large, suburban, bedroom-type community.

Scenario 2: Family From Suburban Community

You will have the same sort of general circumstances that were prevalent in our first example above, except with these two differences. First, you still have three kids, but they are all teens and all boys. Their ages are seventeen, fifteen, and fourteen. The second difference is the big one– you’re the stay-at-home, very talented “Mom”.

Dad works at the family’s commercial property management business, with offices near to your neighborhood, where he is the senior managing partner. His two brothers are his junior partners and are earnestly learning to survive that very competitive business environment as mid-level area managers. Again it’s the same Tuesday at ten in the morning. Your teens are in school, and you and Dad are both watching the news and growing very concerned.

The Alert Announcement and Exit Plan

You are on full alert after an announcement that both metro New York  and the D.C. capitol are both shut down totally with a full blown area wide power grid outage situation. Your west side suburban St. Louis area is a very densely populated, residential, upper mid-level income area. The two of you are in full agreement that you are fast moving toward a pre-planned decision to gather up the immediate family and bug-out to your parent’s home in western, rural, central Missouri. It is an easy four-hour trip but possibly longer if you delay your ideal exit-town schedule. Your earlier estimates of timing ran nearly four hours for a daytime weekday hasty leaving exit. The boys are very involved and are fully aware that exit knowledge security is a paramount item.

Continue reading“Making The Hard Decisions Somewhat Easier- Part 2, by Old Bobbert”

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 “HJL”. Amazon Echo is at the center of a Murder trial as evidence now.

Modern Nomads

A growing segment of America is redefining what a nomadic lifestyle is. CBS news recently ran a new special on this. Upwards of one million Americans are now embracing a modern nomadic lifestyle where the home and property has been sold or rented out and the family now lives and travels in an RV. The article referenced suggests that those people feel that the open road lifestyle has made them happier and improved their marriages. Certainly, they don’t have the same battles over property taxes and other things that most American’s deal with. With homeschooling so available, this can be a lifestyle even for young families.

Saving Your Home

Yahoo has an article on a man who chose to fight for his home rather than evacuate in Paradise, California. Egged on by his 90 year-old mother who refused to evacuate and armed with garden hoses and buckets of water from a swimming pool, he and his mother’s home health aide battled flames all day Thursday and into the night. It should be noted that this was not his first fire and he had some experience at dealing with it. He was able to save his home while those around him lost theirs. I noticed in the article that the description of the properties surrounding him suggested that may have played into the problem. There were apparently lots of flammable things around the properties and right next to homes.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The corollary, from the first position, is, that ‘the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.’ The prohibition is general. No clause in the Constitution could by any rule of construction be conceived to give to congress a power to disarm the people. Such a flagitious attempt could only be made under some general pretense by a state legislature. But if in any blind pursuit of inordinate power, either should attempt it, this amendment may be appealed to as a restraint on both.” – William Rawle, in his textbook A View of the The Constitution, 1825.

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday – November 14, 2018

On November 14th, 1985, the Nevado del Ruiz Volcano erupted in Colombia, killing over 20,000 as nearby towns are buried in mud, ice and lava. Scientist studying the volcano believed an eruption was imminent and had recommended an evacuation of the area which was largely ignored, resulting in the high number of casualties.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 79 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 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 Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  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 gift certificate for any two or three-day class from Max Velocity Tactical (a $600 value),
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  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).

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 79 ends on November 30th, 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.