Mag Pump 9mm Magazine Loader, by Pat Cascio

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Tired of loading magazines by hand? Today, we’re checking out the Mag Pump 9mm magazine loader.

I’m Getting On In Years

I sincerely hate admitting that I’m getting on in years, but I am. We all knew we’d grow old, but we didn’t know how fast it would happen. And, what comes with growing older is we tend to grow weaker in many respects. Body parts don’t work like they used to. I suffer from severe osteo-arthritis in my hands, especially my right hand, which is my shooting hand, and my trigger finger. Osteo-arthritis is caused by wear and tear, for the most part. I had to have my right hip replaced a little over a year ago because of this and a small birth defect on the head of the femur bone that accelerated the wear and tear. It has literally taken a full year to recover from the hip replacement.

I used to get a jump start on my articles, always starting them very early in the mornings, so I could clear the way to have the rest of the day to myself or for testing other products. These days, my hands don’t “wake-up” until about 10:00am. The ol’ fingers and hands just don’t work like they used to. So, I don’t do any articles until after 10:00am, most days.

Real Chore Loading Magazines

When it comes to loading magazines, especially double-stack 9mm mags that hold a lot of rounds, my fingers and thumbs just don’t work as well as they used to. It is a chore to load some mags. On the top of my list is the Glock 33-rd 9mm magazine, followed by some of the other mags that hold 17-20 rounds. It’s a real chore getting those last few rounds stuffed into those mags. Add in a couple hours of shooting, over a couple of days, my fingers and thumbs take a beating. It’s always nice when I have some volunteer shooters on-hand who are more than happy to load mags in exchange for shooting some new gun models with free ammo.

Continue reading“Mag Pump 9mm Magazine Loader, 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 international countertrade.

Precious Metals:

First up, at Kitco: Don’t Throw In The Towel Just Yet Even If USD Moves Higher – Analysts

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Despite a stronger Dollar and fresh hopes for peace on the Korean Peninsula, spot silver ended the week on Friday at a respectable $16.49 USD per Troy ounce.

 

Stocks:

After next few rate hikes, Fed needs to be ‘very, very careful:’ Dallas Fed’s Kaplan

 

Countertrade:

One seldom-mentioned part of international commerce is countertrade. This modern-day barter is typically done by companies–or countries–that are resource rich but cash poor. The more that a currency unit becomes distrusted, the more important that countertrade becomes. For a country like Venezuela, with a hyperinflated currency that is considered “trash”, countertrade becomes crucial. Countertrade and offset trading can also be exempt from tariff regimes, in a few circumstances. Countertrading is “a layer deep” in most companies and hence unavailable for individual investors to directly profit by it. But I can foresee two opportunities: 1.) Investing in firms that profit from brokering countertrade and offsets, and, 2.)  The advent of a new hybrid forward selling derivatives geared toward planned countertrade, primarily among precious metals mining firms.  (The latter has not yet appeared, but given the labyrinthine and constantly-expanding world of derivatives, I expect to see them, within a few years.) See The Global Offset and Countertrade Association (GOCA) website, for details on how countertrade works.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday – May 06, 2018

May 6th is the birthday of Tuvia Bielski. (Born 1906.) You may remember him as the main character in the movie Defiance This movie was based on the book Defiance: The Bielski Partisans by Nechama Tec.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This has been another entry for Round 76 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. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value), and
  8. 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 76 ends on May 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.

Medical Supplies, Principles of Use and Purpose, by J.V.

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Today’s world climate seems to reinforce more and more the need to be prepared for various situations that might arise. Everything from terrorism to tensions with whatever country it is this week. We all need to do our part to be prepared. This includes the medical side of things.

Knowledge and Practice

Nothing beats knowledge and practice of a particular skill set. Even without the proper tools, if you understand the principle inside and out, you can think of ways to adapt and use what supplies you have on hand. This is the true meaning of survival– making due with what you have on hand. Whether you stockpile thousands of items to make sure you have enough or you just wing it, you have to know the theories and principles behind why you are doing whatever you are doing or what the end goal is. Survival scenarios, whether TEOTWAWKI, or any other type require outside of the box thinking.

Principles Behind and Basic Purpose of Medical Supplies

Specifically, it’s important to understand the principles of use and basic purposes of our medical supplies. Without this understanding, we make poor choices and won’t know when or how to utilize them. Knowledge and practice are necessary.

Basic Trauma Kit

A basic trauma kit for TEOTWAWKI scenarios should be able to be self sustained for days and weeks at a time. It should be resilient and able to withstand abuse. It should also be properly stocked to provide for the widest possible scenarios imaginable, all while still being mobile enough for your unique situation. Heavy duty cordura packs work best for these situations, whether military pack, hiking packs, or even a fancy Blackhawk tactical medical pack.

Continue reading“Medical Supplies, Principles of Use and Purpose, by J.V.”

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 are several interesting articles today, but the EMP article is a good refresher (or starter) for those who want to check on their preps in that area.

EMP

Reader H.L. sent in this article on the effects of EMP. The author believes this is the most likely and most dangerous proposition the U.S. could ever face as few outside of the prepper community are even pondering such an end. Fewer still are prepared to survive such an SHTF event. For those unfamiliar with the effects of the EMP, the initial problem is just the beginning. A large scale EMP attack would cripple the power grid, which would cascade to multiple failures.

The inability to refine and pump petroleum products would cause the trucking industry to grind to a halt. This would, in turn, create a supply disaster for the large cities that cannot feed themselves. Medical services would be extremely hampered and law & order would easily break down. As the famous government report states, this sort of event could result in over 90% casualties to the U.S. population within just a few short months.

Power in Venezuela

Large swaths of the socialist utopia of Venezuela are without power as the economic chaos leaves the power companies without the funds to repair the grid. A nation with one of the largest oil reserves in the world cannot keep it’s own lights on now. Blackouts are nothing new to the country though. They’ve struggled for over two decades of socialist rule, but they are more frequent and last longer now. One profiled community has been without power for over a month when a power transformer exploded. The officials repeatedly promise that it will be fixed tomorrow. As reader S.R., who sent this link in, reports: It’s reminiscent of the scene in Atlas Shrugged at the end of the book when the power goes out. The collapse is nearly complete.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:17-19 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday – May 05, 2018

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May 5th is the birthday of Pat Frank (1908-1964). This was the pen name of newspaper journalist Harry Hart Frank. His novel Alas, Babylon is a survivalist classic. His personal life was marred by alcoholism, but his writing is admired and still surprisingly popular today. (Alas, Babylon is still in print, after more than 50 years!) As an homage to Pat Frank, one of the settings in JWR’s novel Expatriates is Mt. Dora, Florida, which was fictionalized by Pat Frank as Fort Repose in Alas, Babylon.

o o o

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This has been another entry for Round 76 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. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value), and
  8. 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 76 ends on May 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.

Guess What? We Grow Up, by The Autistic Prepper

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It was good to read about dealing with autistic children and their special needs in survival situations, and I’d like to thank Grey Woman for her article. There have been articles about the elderly, the physically handicapped, those with dementia, but we on the autistic spectrum have been largely ignored. Our differences are too bizarre for most people to understand.

Adult With Autism; We Grow Up

Let me introduce myself. I’m an adult with autism, and I’m also a fervent SurvivalBlog reader and occasional contributor. I also like to watch water going down a drain, insist that my egg be on the right side of my plate, and relax by studying the structure of the knotholes in our paneled den. “Quirky” is putting it mildly.

Prefer “Difference”

Incidentally, I never really liked calling what I am a “disorder”; I prefer “difference”. For some reason, no one understands, my brain works differently from that of other people. Human brains, like human faces, are very different. It’s doubtful Mozart could have written “Hamlet”, and I doubt Shakespeare could have dreamed up the prototype helicopter da Vinci designed. The autistic brain is just different. Sometimes this difference is good; sometimes it’s uncomfortable and unpleasant for me and those around me.

If you ever meet me, you won’t perceive anything unusual. I’m good at hiding my differences. Besides, I rarely speak to people. I don’t relate well, because I can’t perceive the subtle cues in body language or sometimes even speech. I usually miss jokes, and teasing goes over me like a waterfall. I just don’t get it.

Continue reading“Guess What? We Grow Up, by The Autistic Prepper”

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,
This week was dominated by gardening tasks, horse work, and looking after our rapidly-growing chicks.

Lily and our kids had a bit of a rodeo, getting ready for our local farrier’s regular hoof trimming visit. But it went well.

I did some organizing in JASBORR, and the whole family did a seasonal re-organization of our bug-out bags.

We also did a repair on our main garden fence. (Even cedar posts rot out, eventually!)

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”. Barter wins again today in Socialist ravaged Venezuela. As the economy has tanked the cost of a haircut has radically changed.

Aircraft Incidents

China is reportedly increasing their lazing of American military flights near a U.S. Military base in Africa. High power lasers are being aimed at U.S. aircraft flying over the east African country of Djibouti, aimed from the Chinese base in Doraleh resulting in eye injuries for two American pilots. The U.S. has lodged a formal complaint with the Chinese government, but China has not officially responded. China has complained about U.S. flights over it’s Djibouti outpost in the past though. Thanks to H.L. for the link.

Eleven Farm Attacks in 100 Hours

According to this article sent in by M.S., the situation in South Africa continues to escalate with 11 attacks against White-owned farms in 100 hours. In those 11 attacks, there were three murders committed. With an estimated 30,000 farmers, being a white farmer is now one of the most dangerous occupations in South Africa. The included video brings to light the escalated violence showing looting, burning, destruction and chaos during the riots in the North West province. It should also be noted that while the violence is escalating, the media coverage is headed in the opposite direction.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the Lord of hosts, is his name, great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings” Jerimiah 32:17-19 (KJV)