The Second Amendment, by D.V.

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There is a lot of talk about the Second Amendment right now. The Bill of Rights is a document that has been enshrined in the annals of America. Ultimately, it is the fundamental rights that is provided to individuals to protect them from an overbearing government. While of the amendments on the Bill of Rights that are under attack, the amendment that takes the greatest beating is Amendment #2– the Right to Bear Arms. (I believe I could make valid arguments on all ten are under attack, yes even Amendment #3– No Quartering of Soldiers, but that is a different article.)

What the Second Amendment Says

In total, if it is not ingrained in your heart or tattooed on your arm, the Second Amendment reads, “A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” A plain reading and understanding of this text is that the people are the standing army and therefore should be armed as such. There are multiple documents, court opinions, and articles on this amendment that date from when it was written to now.

Continue reading“The Second Amendment, by D.V.”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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Here is SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt. This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. We also mention companies of interest to preppers that are located in the region. The emphasis this week is on the American Redoubt’s equestrian culture and colorful rodeos.

Idaho

Idaho’s Rodeo Culture

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Southwest Idaho Endurance Riding

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Homeschooled kids here in the American Redoubt often amaze me. For example, I’ve witnessed their great ability to memorize lengthy passages of scripture and the Declaration of Independence. But Akiane Kramarik, from Sandpoint, Idaho is astoundingly off the scale!  Child Prodigy is a Self-Made Millionaire from Selling Her Incredible Paintings SuperHuman: Geniuses

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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”. Turkey disturbingly calls for an “Army of Islam” to attack Israel this week.

The Six “No’s” You Need to Know

Dale Carson Law, in Florida, has posted a YouTube video outlining six common things that you can say “no” to when dealing with police. What is good about this is that the lawyer outlines that while you can say “no”, you may not want to. For instance, if you are a passenger in a vehicle, you do not have to show ID to a police officer. However, if the officer declares the scene unsafe because he doesn’t know that you may belong there, he might arrest you. While the arrest would probably be removed, your fingerprints will now be in the law enforcement database forever. The record of that arrest will never be totally removed and it may affect your ability to gain or retain employment. If you have an attitude with the cop over a refusal to show ID, the likelihood of the conflict moving in that direction is much greater.

Army of Islam

Reader G.P. sent in this link responding to Turkey’s call (through their semi-official newspaper) for a 57 nation “Army of Islam” where all of the nations ruled by Islam would form a coalition to besiege and attack Israel. This move of combining military might would create the largest military force on the planet. Given Islam’s hatred of Israel and America, that is certainly a terrifying thought. Probably the only saving grace is that Islam seems just as adept at killing each other as they do at killing non-Islamist. The article does show that Turkey, while still a member of NATO, really doesn’t share any attributes with their western neighbors.

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

SOG Knives Kiku Folder by Pat Cascio

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If your tastes run along the lines of the great Japanese knife designers, then you’ll really enjoy the SOG Knives Kiku folder. It’s under review today.

Talented American Knife Designers

I know many American knife designers, and they are some pretty talented folks. I got to know quite a few of them when I was the West Coast Field Editor for Knives Illustrated magazine, for which I wrote for more years than any other writer. So I had the opportunity to speak with a lot of custom knife makers/designers over the years. However, many folks believe that when it comes to Japanese knife makers/designers, they have the rest of ‘em beat hands down!

Marriage of SOG Opening Device and Design by Japanese Knife Designer Kiku Matsuda

SOG Knives partnered with Kiku Matsuda, a well-known Japanese knife maker/designer, to come out with several of his world famous designs. Under review this time around is the Kiku SOG spring-assisted opening folding knife. The knife design itself belongs to Matsuda, but the SOG spring-assisted opening device is owned by SOG. The marriage of the two is really quite something to behold.

Continue reading“SOG Knives Kiku Folder by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Easy Mayonnaise by Grey Woman

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Now that my tomato plants have broken through the earth in their snug little pots (barely) and the smell of fresh baked bread is floating through the house, my thoughts are turning to my absolute favorite summer snack: Fresh tomato sandwiches with homemade mayonnaise.

When grocery store mayo just won’t do, this is the easiest recipe I have!

Ingredients:

I large egg (fresh from the coop is best)

  • 1+tbs Dijon mustard
  • 1+tbs White vinegar
  • ¼ +tsp sea salt (or kosher)
  • 1 cup mild flavored oil (I use avocado oil, but any mild oil will work)
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Note: I include the “+” because I prefer a tangier taste, if you do not, then just stick to the basic measurements.

Directions:

  1. Combine egg (not cold!), mustard, Vinegar and some of the salt in a bowl and whip briskly with a whisk (you can use a food processor or submersion blender but I like to keep it “old school” even though it is a bit of work).
  2. As you whisk, start to drip the oil in one drop at a time until you are about 1/3 done. It is really important not to add the oil too fast or it will just never get to be the right texture.
  3. Once it has started to thicken up, you can start adding the remaining oil a bit faster, scraping down the sides of the bowl periodically.
  4. Once all of the oil is incorporated, keep whisking for another few minutes and then add in the other ingredients (taste for flavor as you go) and mix in thoroughly.

It will keep in the fridge for about as long as you would keep the eggs. Enjoy!

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

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 investing in classic bolt action rifles. (See the Tangibles Investing section, near the end of this column.)

Precious Metals:

To start us off, here is a good piece at Silver Doctors: The Gold Standard 101: Measuring Gold And The Dollar Now Versus Then

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Gold/Silver Ratio Signals Massive Silver Rally

 

Cryptos:

At MarketSlant: Has Bitcoin Bought It?
Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“But as no two (theoreticians) agree on this (skin friction) or any other subject, some not agreeing today with what they wrote a year ago, I think we might put down all their results, add them together, and then divide by the number of mathematicians, and thus find the average coefficient of error. (1908)” – Sir Hiram Maxim

 

Preparedness Notes for Sunday – March 18, 2018

March 18th is the birthday of novelist John Updike. (He was born in 1932 and died in 2009.)

It is also the birthday of Luc Besson, director and producer of films such as Nikita and The Fifth Element.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today features another entry for Round 75 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 Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 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 75 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Observations and Prepper Lessons From County Jail, by M.R.

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I am a correctional deputy, who works in a rural county jail in a mid-sized state somewhere out west, with some observations to share with my prepper community. When I first went into the jail to work, I felt naked without my EDC– a pistol, knives, and multitool. Don’t fret; I have them safely stored in my private vehicle outside should the SHTF happen and I need to make the trek home. However, I like to use every opportunity to learn something new.

Enlightened Observations of Communal, Cramped Living

As I have been making my rounds, conducting shakedowns, and dealing with the 300 or so inmates we have, my mind has been enlightened by some of their creativity. I asked myself, “What application does this have for me?” I also have gained a few ideas about either communal or cramped space living.

Things Learned From Fellow Guards and LEOs

There are also a few things I have learned from my fellow guards and law enforcement officers (LEOs) about how to live in different circumstances. I hope that I can share some things I have gathered for our benefit as preppers.

Continue reading“Observations and Prepper Lessons From County Jail, by M.R.”

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”. China’s bad social credit policy is rearing it’s ugly head.

How to Negotiate with Hospitals

Not too long ago, I had a time where I was without medical insurance and I had to have a medical procedure performed. That was when I learned that most hospitals and doctors had sliding scales for payment and that they were open to negotiation on payment. I still ended up paying more than I thought I should though, because I didn’t really understand how to negotiate with these companies. Reader H.L. sent in this article that lays down some basic rules and would have been exceedingly helpful had I known them at the time. Whether you find yourself doing this because you refuse to participate in the mediocrity of Obamacare or you are unemployed, these are skills well worth having.

Four Meals from Anarchy

Reader A.D. sent in this link from The Telegraph outlining how they believe that British cities are only four meals away from anarchy. If the grid was taken down, mass chaos would present itself. People have become so reliant on electricity that a prolonged blackout would quickly lead to a loss of water, fuel, banking, transport and communications and they fear conditions would be pretty close to “stone age”.

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

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” – Romans 8:1-2 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday – March 17, 2018

March 17th is the birthday of novelist Pearl S. Buck, best known for her novel The Good Earth. (Born 1887, died 1973.)

This is also the birthday of Józef Franczak (born 1917, died 21 October 1963), who was a Polish Army Corporal who fought in the World War II resistance against the invading Germans. He then carried on after the war, to fight against the occupying Soviets and their Polish communist stooges. Eventually, he was one of the last of the Cursed Soldiers resistance in Poland. His nom de guerre was Lalek.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

This has been another entry for Round 75 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 Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 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 75 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Perspectives on Patrolling- Part 5, by J.M.

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Today is the final part of this article on patrolling in the post-SHTF scenario. If you just jumping in here and have missed the earlier parts, go back and look at what has been covered already, including objectives, planning, navigation, movement, contact, observing and more.

Bivouacking

Let’s look at the practical concerns of bivouacking within a patrol group. Even if everyone in the patrol is in perfect physical shape, you’ll still need to stop for food and rest occasionally. Since you will be walking a lot, you’ll be burning a lot of calories, which you’ll need to replace. Food is obviously a very personal decision. However, keep in mind that for patrolling you’ll need food that is light and compact, has a high calorie count, and is easy to prepare. You could have the patrol forage, fish, or hunt for food. But that will take time away from achieving their primary objectives. It might also expose them to greater risk.

Patrol Meal Choice

My choice for patrol meals are custom freeze-dried meals that I create using ingredients from various #10 FD cans. I store them in a vacuum-packed sealed mylar bag with an oxygen absorber. They can be prepared quickly by just adding hot water, which I heat up with a simple alcohol burner, pot stand, wind break, and lightweight pot. Denatured alcohol is inexpensive and stores forever.

Continue reading“Perspectives on Patrolling- Part 5, by J.M.”