CRKT Goken Folder, by Pat Cascio

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Designed by an award-winning Black Belt martial artist and someone who walks the walk and talks the talk, the CRKT Goken folder is under review. In my opinion, it is a winner in all respects.

James Williams, Knife Designer and Martial Artist

Having spent more than 35 years in the martial arts myself and earning Black Belt rank in five different disciplines, I was more than interested in some of the knives designed by James Williams for CRKT. To be sure, CRKT has been producing several of Williams’ designs for some years now, and I believe I’ve tested them all. They’re all winners, in my book. I also design knives on a very part-time basis, and I know what is involved in producing a design that flows. All of Williams’ knives have a certain symmetry about them, every last one.

I did some research on James Williams for this article. In my research, I discovered he is a member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame, as a weapons instructor. He has also been involved in the martial arts since 1960 and teaching since 1975. He is well known throughout the world for his skills. The list of his various martial arts training is too lengthy to list in this article, but rest assured the man is revered for his skills. The list of military and law enforcement agencies Williams has taught span the world, not just in the USA. That says a lot about the man. It is nice to hear about a genuine martial artist, like Williams and his many accomplishments. He’s the real deal!

Continue reading“CRKT Goken Folder, by Pat Cascio”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest 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 Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk. (See the Stocks section.)

Precious Metals:

Hedgers Move To Net Long Position

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Gold And Money, Honey

Stocks:

File under: “Cheech & Chong & Musk (or under: “Up In Smoke”): Tesla shares plunge SIX PERCENT- wiping $3.1BILLION off the company value – after Elon Musk’s wild pot-smoking, whiskey-drinking rambling podcast and company’s top accountant quits

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This timeline charts Elon Musk’s dramatic rise to internet fame (or descent into internet infamy)

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Stock Market News For Jul 9, 2018

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“Money is different from all other commodities: other things being equal, more shoes, or more discoveries of oil or copper benefit society, since they help alleviate natural scarcity. But once a commodity is established as a money on the market, no more money at all is needed. Since the only use of money is for exchange and reckoning, more dollars or pounds or marks in circulation cannot confer a social benefit: they will simply dilute the exchange value of every existing dollar or pound or mark. So it is a great boon that gold or silver are scarce and are costly to increase in supply.

But if government manages to establish paper tickets or bank credit as money, as equivalent to gold grams or ounces, then the government, as dominant money-supplier, becomes free to create money costlessly and at will. As a result, this ‘inflation’ of the money supply destroys the value of the dollar or pound, drives up prices, cripples economic calculation, and hobbles and seriously damages the workings of the market economy.” – Murray Rothbard in “Taking Money Back”, in The Freeman (September – October 1995).

Guest Article: Are Multiple "Failed Coups" Leading To The Engineered Fall Of America?, by Brandon Smith

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There has been a lot of talk about “coups” the past two years, not just in the U.S. but around the globe. As I have noted in recent articles, failed coups in particular have been very popular as a way for certain governments to solidify power and assert dictatorial changes. In some cases, there has been no concrete evidence presented that the coup ever really existed.

In Turkey in 2016, Recep Erdogan claimed “success” in stopping a potential coup involving numerous government employees and military personnel which included active combat around major government sites such as the presidential palace and Turkish parliament. Erdogen argues that the coup was a part of the “Gulen Movement,” a political opposition movement surrounding Fethullah Gulen, a former ally of Erdogen who has resided in the U.S. since 1999 and had a falling out with the Turkish president in 2013 after criticisms of Erdogen’s corruption.

So far, evidence of actual “combat” with coup forces is thin to the point that it is questionable whether a coup ever really happened. Most reports cite fire from tanks and planes, as well as nearly 300 people killed. Video footage shows random firing, some explosions in civilian areas as well as Turkish citizens mobbing aimlessly around tanks. With tens of thousands of government employees imprisoned or dismissed after the event, the amount of kinetic conflict seems rather limited and tame.

Continue reading“Guest Article: Are Multiple "Failed Coups" Leading To The Engineered Fall Of America?, by Brandon Smith”

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”. Political correctness strikes once again, this time attacking the heros of the Alamo.

Another Wrongful Death

In a nearly unbelievable story coming out of Dallas, a police officer shot and killed a man in his own apartment. The police officer entered her apartment only to find another man there. Alarmed, she drew her weapon and shot him. The problem is that she had entered the wrong apartment. The apartment actually belonged to the man she shot. The Dallas Police initially investigated it as just another officer involved in a shooting, but as the facts started appearing, they asked the Texas rangers to participate in the investigation to avoid any conflict of interest. The officer is being tested for drug/alcohol and a manslaughter warrant was being sought.

You Should Know the Difference

A Connecticut woman accidentally blew her hand off and was hospitalized. Apparently, there was a power outage and the family didn’t have any backup source of light. They even tried to visit the giant orange big box store, but it was already closed. That’s when the family realized that the prior owners of the house had left a couple of candles in their basement. Upon retrieving one of the “candles” and lighting it, the woman discovered that they weren’t candles the hard way. I’ve never seen a candle that resembled a stick of dynamite, but I guess there is a first time for everything. Thankfully no one else was hurt. There is another comment buried in this article that is also disturbing. “Surrounding homes in the area were also searched as a precaution.” Wait, you mean if my neighbor does something stupid, they have the right to search my home too? I think not!

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” – Romans 10:10-13 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday – September 08, 2018

On September 8, 1565, the first permanent settlement in what would become the United States of America was formed. (St Augustine, Florida)

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JRH Enterprises is having a sale on new White Phosphor Photonis AN/PVS-14s, with the base model Commercial Spec grade tube running as low as $2,495.00. The PVS-14 Photonis White Phosphor unit with the higher specification ECHO spec tube is also on sale. These are all new autogated White Phosphor tube units with warranty. Limited time sale, move quick!

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 78 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 transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  5. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

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, 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).

Round 78 ends on September 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.

Survival Fitness and Health- Part 4, by JBH

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This article is about physical fitness, because I believe it is most important for those who want to survive some of the potentially devastating and even not so devastating situations that one can encounter today. I’m not an athlete but have been involved in fitness training for decades and done quite a bit of research as well. As an introduction to the concept of fitness, I identified its components– muscular strength, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, and body composition. I also have gone over the first and most of the second of the four principles/variables applicable to all fitness activities: specificity, intensity, duration, and frequency. We already covered cardiovascular intensity, but will now look at the correct intensity for strength work, though it is hard to define. Earlier, I said that the correct intensity is roughly 70% to 80% effort with very occasional short forays into 90% plus ranges. Let’s begin there and a word of caution.

This essay series is for informational purposes only. Fitness concepts are discussed that the reader may find informative, however the reader is advised to visit their health care provider and obtain medical clearance prior to embarking on any exercise program. The author is not a health care professional and assumes no responsibility for injuries or detrimental health effects the reader may sustain from performing any fitness regimen.

Continue reading“Survival Fitness and Health- Part 4, by JBH”

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:

Late summer is always a busy time for us here at the Rawles Ranch. We are getting our second load of hay this week. Stacking it is tiring, but it leaves us with a sense of accomplishment. Just one more load after this, for a total of 18 tons.

I also had a trailer tail lights re-wiring project this week, and did a bit of AR gunsmithing.

Avalanche Lily Reports:

Some friends came over for a day-long visit and helped us harvest potatoes. Thanks, you two! It was a great big help to me and greatly appreciated. Altogether, we harvested about 200 pounds of French Fingerling, red, and white potatoes. But there are still a lot more to get.  It is a good harvest but might be smaller than last year’s.  I think it is because on average our nights were colder this summer than in most previous summers.  The average night time temp was between 48 and 52 degrees.

I harvested about two pounds of garlic seeds/scapes from my garlic plants and also pulled them up. I’m going to plant the seeds and see how we do with growing the garlic from their seeds.   I also weed whacked the garden paths, yet again.  The week has mostly been dedicated to homeschooling. We’re being very diligent with our time.

There is so much to do here with the garden. But with school and visiting friends last weekend and visiting relatives this weekend it’s getting tough to get things done out there.  In a few weeks our life should quiet down.  Our tomatoes are slowly ripening and if the frosts hold off, we should have a nice harvest of them.  These are the tomatoes that are out in the garden under the plastic hoops.

May you all have a very blessed and productive week. – Jim Rawles and Avalanche Lily, Rawles

 

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”. Two more planes are quarantined this week as we continue flying the sick skies.

Napoleon

As the world gets ready to head into the solar minimum, we would do well to pay attention to historical evidence. Reader H.L. sent in this article on how the weather created by the a Volcanic winter in 1815 which lined up with another solar minimum. It is important to remember that correlation does not mean causation, but Napoleon was stymied by the weather events that were occurring during that solar minimum. many born after 1980 here in America don’t remember the predictions of the mini-ice age that were the rage in the late 70’s. So much for man-caused climate change. Of course it’s cyclic, but we should prepare for the things that have traditionally occurred during these cycles.

Flying the Sick Skies

According to this article sent in by W.W., the CDC is investigating after passengers fell ill on more than one flight coming into Philadelphia International Airport. The origination of the flights were from areas as varied as Paris and Munich. All 250 passengers and crew on the flights were held for medical review. In all 12 passengers who felt sick were tested for the flu and were then released. It is unknown at this time why they felt sick.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday – September 07, 2018

Today is the birthday of Dr. Ludwig Vorgrimler (born 1912 in Freiburg, Germany; died 1983). Vorgrimler was the designer of the Spanish CETME rifle, from which sprang a plethora of roller-lock descendants from HK, including the G3, HK21, and MP5. His bolt design was also copied by the Swiss for their excellent PE57 and SIG 510 rifles. (Although the Swiss felt obliged to mount a “beer keg” charging handle on the right side of the receiver, for the sake of familiarity to Schmidt-Rubin shooters.)

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 78 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 transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  5. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  6. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

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, 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).

Round 78 ends on September 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.

Survival Fitness and Health- Part 3, by JBH

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This article is about physical fitness, because I believe it is most important for those who want to survive some of the potentially devastating and even not so devastating situations that one can encounter today. I’m not an athlete but have been involved in fitness training for decades and done quite a bit of research as well. As an introduction to the concept of fitness, I identified its components– muscular strength, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, and body composition.

This essay series is for informational purposes only. Fitness concepts are discussed that the reader may find informative, however the reader is advised to visit their health care provider and obtain medical clearance prior to embarking on any exercise program. The author is not a health care professional and assumes no responsibility for injuries or detrimental health effects the reader may sustain from performing any fitness regimen.

Body Composition (continued)

In our current society, fat is viewed as a shameful thing. From my observation, this is especially hard on women. We want everyone, especially our women, to appear lean and hard. This was not always the case. Century’s old art indicates that a little extra weight on women was viewed as positive at many points in our past. Why would that be, and why would it change?

Some Conclusions From Observation About Body Fat

I do not know for sure but during my time as a Navy Physical Fitness Coordinator I came to some conclusions based years of observations. They will be presented, though you may disagree. I will state that I am a male who does not typically struggle with weight.

Continue reading“Survival Fitness and Health- Part 3, by JBH”