A Backpacker’s Perspective on Bugging Out, by Z.M.

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I like to backpack and want to share my perspective on bugging out. I’ve done hundreds of miles out on the Appalachian Trail and have spent a good number of nights out on the trail in the woods as a result. Having the wrong gear while trekking out for any length of time makes life pretty miserable.

Bugging In or Bugging Out, With a Comprehensive List

With prepping there is a lot of debate on whether one should bug-in or bug-out post-disaster. The answer to that obviously depends upon not only the situation but how well prepared you are with tangible assets and outdoors skills as well.

I’ve seen a host of writers, who talk about bugging out, give their “comprehensive lists” with what you’ll need. But, to me, it is readily apparent that very few of these writers have ever spent a night out in the woods.

If somebody did attempt to take all of the unnecessary junk itemized on those lists out into the woods for any distance, they would quickly discover that life is pretty miserable because it’s impractical to lug around the amount of stuff that was recommended in many of those lists.

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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.  Today’s special focus is on private military veteran support organizations. All of these are in the American Redoubt.

Idaho

The Inland Northwest Disabled Veterans Sports Association organizes several sports events each year. Many of them are shooting events in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

o o o

Idaho Horse Therapy provides equine-assisted psychotherapy for veterans with PTSD.

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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”. Given the tumultuous political landscape and the deeply divided America, the time may draw near where you have to fight against those who wish to enslave you. Check out the entry “Forest Brothers” below.

Forest Brothers

After the second World War, a new type of war emerged. Soldiers from across the Baltics who had fought on both sides of the war disappeared into the forests to wage a bloody guerrilla war against the occupying Soviet forces. The Forest Brothers — Fight for the Baltics is a short Docu-drama on YouTube that tells the story of these courageous people. When the time comes…

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The Editors’ Quote of the Day

“Always remember the difference between economic power and political power: You can refuse to hire someone‘s services or buy his products in the private sector and go somewhere else instead. In the public sector, though, if you refuse to accept a politician‘s or bureaucrat‘s product or services you go to jail. Ultimately, after all, all regulations are observed and all taxes are paid at gunpoint.” – Rick Gaber

Preparedness Notes for Monday – July 17, 2017

July 17th, 1889 was the birthdate of Erle Stanley Gardner. He was an American lawyer and author. Though best known for the Perry Mason series of detective stories, he wrote numerous other novels and shorter pieces, as well as a series of nonfiction books, mostly narrations of his travels through Baja California and other regions in Mexico.

The best-selling American author of the 20th century at the time of his death, Gardner also published under numerous pseudonyms, including A.A. Fair, Kyle Corning, Charles M. Green, Carleton Kendrake, Charles J. Kenny, Les Tillray and Robert Parr.

CRKT/Ruger Hollow-Point Folder, by Pat Cascio

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Today, we are taking a look at the CRKT/Ruger Hollow-point Folder. It is a Ken Onion knife, and I’ll have more on that a little later.

Knives Are Tools

I love knives, all knives, big and small. They all have a use. I especially love well-made knives, because I don’t have a lot of use for junk knives. That is why our readers just won’t see me wasting my time reviewing junk knives. A knife is a tool, first and foremost. Many people forget that. Many claim that the knife is the first tool ever invented. I’m sure those first knives did not resemble what we consider a knife by today’s standards. But still, it did the job it was designed for— cutting!

Gun Companies Make Guns But Outsource Knives

Many gun companies offer up some knives with their name on it. And no matter how hard I try to convince people that those gun makers are not making those knives, they refuse to believe me for some reason. Gun companies are in the business of making guns! Knife companies are in the business of making knives! The machinery involved in making guns and knives are entirely different. So, that’s why companies that specialize in manufacturing certain products make those products and nothing more. One example is Smith & Wesson (S&W) handcuffs. They have been the first choice for law enforcement for many years. However, S&W doesn’t make those handcuffs. They are made by a company that specializes in this type of product and simply stamps the S&W name on the cuffs.

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Recipe of the Week: Basic Bread, by P.B.

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I have been using this basic bread recipe for about 20 years and continue to experiment with different ingredients and techniques. My favorite is still using the basic ingredients, letting it cool overnight, and slicing it for toast the next morning. My neighbor’s like it also.

Ingredients:

  • 4 to 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour *
  • 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons of granular yeast
  • about 1 3/4 to 2 cups of warm water **

May also use the following items (examples):

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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 rental property IRAs. (See the Tangibles Investing section, near the end of this column.)

Precious Metals:

First,  there’s this: CEO of the CME Tells Fox Biz “Gold Should Probably Be At $5-$6k/oz”

o  o  o

Next, Jim Wyckoff offered this: Friday’s Charts for Gold, Silver, Platinum and Palladium, July 14

Commodities:

The latest commentary from Nick Cunningham: “Oil Market Rebalancing Hasn’t Even Started Yet”

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The Editors’ Quote of the Day

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“If you’re not shootin’, you should be loadin’. If you’re not loadin’, you should be movin’, if you’re not movin’, someone’s gonna cut your head off and put it on a stick.” – Clint Smith, Founder of the Thunder Ranch firearms training school

Sol-Ark Review, by James in Florida

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Over the course of the last year, I have bought my Sol-Ark system in increments as funds became available. First, I bought the Sol-Ark “brains” followed six months later by 15 solar panels. Then, last month, I purchased 16 AGM deep storage batteries.

Placement of the Sol-Ark Unit

I’m the kind of guy who likes to carefully think through a project before starting it. Having read the Sol-Ark installation instructions, which are very straight-forward and uncomplicated, I decided to mount the Sol-Ark unit in my garage utilities closet. I’m fortunate that my homebuilder actually made a mistake when building my house; my HVAC unit and water heater are in a closet with a wide door instead of being out in the open garage and subject to the heat and humidity. There is enough “leakage”, for lack of a better word, from my five year-old HVAC system that it keeps the closet moderately cool in the summer and warm in the cool few months of the year.

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Guest Post: Fine Gold versus F.I.N.E. Central Banks, by Gary Christenson

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Gold is one of nature’s finest creations.

On the other hand central banks create trillions of fiat currency units – dollars, euros, yen, quataloos, whatever – from nothing and use those currency units for purchases … Apple stock, salaries for a thousand Ph.D. economists, office buildings, lobbyists, politicians, gold bullion etc.

It is unfair that the Fed creates trillions of dollars from nothing and values those dollars equally with other dollars created from the efforts of millions of businesses and individuals.

Unfair? Of course it’s unfair. That’s the point! With their “unfair” ability to create fiat currency that spends the same as existing currency, central bankers increase their power and wealth at the expense of citizens. They own or control governments, congressmen, CEO’s, commercial bankers and more.

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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”. The clash of cultures with immigrants continues to be an issue. See the “Immigrant Issues” section below.

Dangerous Cities

What are the most dangerous cities in the world? 247Wallst did a little research and rated them for you. Their criteria was basically the homicide rate per 100,000 population. As expected, Venezuela, Columbia, Brazil and Mexico fill the list. However, the United States also has a couple of spots. At 26 on the list is Baltimore with 51.1 Homicides per 100,000 and St Louis is number 14 with 60.4 homicides per 100,000. Conspicuously missing was Chicago.

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The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: and when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; and said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.” – John 2:13-17 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday – July 15, 2017

On July 15th, 1888, the Bandai Volcano erupted on the Japanese island of Honshu killing hundreds and burying many nearby villages in ash. While Honshu is in an area of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, this eruption was surprising. The volcano had erupted only four times in the 1,000 years prior and none had been particularly deadly. However, this eruption was different. The rumblings started just after 7 a.m. Within 30 minutes there was an explosion on the north side of the mountain and over the next two hours there were dozens of explosions giving villagers very little time to escape.