Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Contrary to popular opinion, the Constitution was not – and is not – a grant of rights to the citizenry. Instead, the Constitution is a “barbed-wire entanglement” designed to interfere with, restrict, and impede government officials in the exercise of political power.” – Jacob Hornberger

Notes for Thursday – February 23, 2017

February 23rd is the birthday of Captain Isaac Davis (February 23, 1745 – April 19, 1775), a militia officer and gunsmith who commanded a Minute Company in Acton, Massachusetts during the Battle of Concord.

Today is also the anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836).

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Today, we present another entry for Round 69 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $15,000 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 that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 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 with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel 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, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. An infrared sensor/imaging camouflage shelter from Snakebite Tactical in Eureka, Montana (A $350+ value),
  6. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  7. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $2,400 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. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. A selection of canned meats containing a 10 pack of 28oz cans of Premium Beef and a 5 pack of 28oz cans of Premium Pork from Wertz’s Farm Market (a $300 value),
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize:

  1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A custom made Sage Grouse model utility/field knife from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  4. 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,
  5. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  6. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  7. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  8. Montie Gear is donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a $125 Montie gear Gift certificate.,
  9. 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), and
  10. Fifteen LifeStraws from SafeCastle (a $300 value).
  11. A $250 gift certificate to Tober’s Traditions, makers of all natural (organic if possible) personal care products, such as soap, tooth powder, deodorant, sunscreen, lotion, and more.

Round 69 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.

Total City WTSHTF Survival- Part 1, by NDT

I’ve been a SurvivalBlog reader for years and grew up prepping. My parents were preppers in the 90’s, so I’ve been through the full spectrum. I love the articles and especially all the news to be found on SurvivalBlog. I appreciate the hard work all the authors have put into their articles over the years and recognize that most individual skills and ideas have been put to ink. I’m going to attempt the 10,000-aerial view in this approach to city survival. My military background taught me to do a risk assessment for everything, and I practice this today. The million-dollar question is, “What do I need to prepare for?”. We cannot predict the future, but we can consider the past and see trends and patterns and learn from those. Consider this.

Create a Risk Assessment

The earth has been hit with many asteroids over its existence, and per a map that I found the location seems random. The frequency of these impacts is rare and typically minor.

Looking at a risk assessment matrix regarding risk with earth space impacts, I conclude that it is an “improbable” event with “catastrophic” to “negligible” severity. The threats seen from an earth space impact are fire, dust, impact, loss of power, social services, et cetera. You can use the risk assessment matrix to evaluate types of events that could be likely in your local areas. I live near Dayton, Ohio, so I will use this as the case example.

You should know some history of your city/county and natural disasters that are prevalent. Dayton is in what is known as the Miami Valley, which houses the Miami River, which is a tributary of the Ohio River. The Ohio River flows west then south and empties out into the Mississippi, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. Dayton has five dams, which were built in response to the great Dayton flood in 1914. Dayton is not known for earthquakes or fires, and flooding has been reduced since 1914. We have a variety of wind directions, and sometimes tornados can touch down. We also have the Wright-Patterson Airforce base, which is a high value strategic U.S. asset. Ohio falls under Region 5 of Homeland Security, and our Statewide Interoperability Coordinator is Richard Schmahl, who is responsible for coordinating emergency communications. Ohio has 11.59 million people, and 1.6 million of those receive SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). We have the intersection of I-70 and I-75 interstates, which assists us in being a manufacturing hub. Every bit of this information is important in a survival situation. You will personally want to know where your city water comes from and if a city wide power failure will result in raw sewage emptying into your home. Threats that we face here, rated by the risk assessment chart, per the likelihood and damage level are discussed here. I will follow with threat types, remembering that this brain storming session will require some creativity.

Asteroid Hit

  • Dust
  • Fire
  • Loss of power, et cetera

Forest Fire

  • Dust
  • Fire
  • Loss of power, et cetera

Car Accident

  • Abrasions
  • Fire, et cetera

Looking at the sub threats, we see fire and dust are common threats, so an economical solution could be to have some fire-resistant clothing on or accessible. Once you have a large list, you can start grouping the threats together and decide on the most practical course of negating threats. Fire-resistant clothing for instances is not terribly expensive, and you buy clothing anyway. Some of the stuff looks casual.

Top ten normal routine threats we face per the National Safety Council are:

  • Heart Disease and Cancer 1 in 7
  • Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease 1 in 27
  • Intentional Self-harm 1 in 97
  • Unintentional Poisoning by and Exposure to Noxious Substances 1 in 103
  • Motor Vehicle Crash 1 in 113
  • Fall (Gravity not season) 1 in 133
  • Assault by Firearm (Firearms don’t assault people) 1 in 358
  • Pedestrian Incident 1 in 672
  • Motorcycle Rider Incident 1 in 948
  • Unintentional Drowning and Submersion 1 in 1,183

Why, When, and How Do We Prep?

So, do we prep to prevent death? I would argue, “No.” Obviously, when we look at a prepper’s list against these two subjects, we realize we do not prep to extend our life. Preparation for me has three goals:

  1. Greater independence realizing my full potential to make decisions based off my own ethics and morality, not being dictated by the trends in society.
  2. To increase the quality of life within my household during routine disasters.
  3. To train my children for the above, plus to enhance the skills and ability to live in a radically different culture due to a cultural paradigm shift.

Those goals are addressed with three categories:

  • Skills
  • Practices
  • Equipment

Let us say, predominately we prepare for paradigm shifts and we prepare all the time. Well, I know the countryside is a better place to live, but you are probably like me, living in the city and in an apartment. It’s the worst place to be during Schumer events. So, let’s get to work! What skills do you need? If the Schumer hits the fan, city folks can use these skills. Each have their own perspective equipment and practices.

Map Reading

Topographical maps are wonderful in the country but in the city I wonder. Just get a street map and get to know it! Give yourself extra time, and turn off GPS; take alternative routes to work. In Cultural Neuroscience: Cultural Influences on Brain Function, it states that taxi cab drivers have greater hippocampal brain volume based on studies of London taxi cab drivers. The increased brain function is due to spatial mapping. Engaging in spatial mapping will increase brain function, even if it is during game play. Practice thinking about like a spy; they never take the same route to and from a place, and military folk try to avoid that as well.

Music

In that same peer reviewed paper, they mention the benefits of music playing on the brain, so grab an instrument and start to learn. If you are on the run and hiding in the streets, nothing is better than hiding in plain view. Beaten and battered, pull out your harmonica, put a hat on the ground, and start to play. You’ll get well needed rest and possibly bring in some dough for your next meal. (The Arshanskaya sisters are two examples of Jews using music to sustain their safety.)

Languages

If Canada is your target location to split, French would be a decent option while also used in Europe. If Mexico is your target location, learn Spanish. To learn a language, there are many techniques. Listen to the music, choose a song, listen to it over and over until you are proficient in it, while also reading the lyrics in that language. Once you can recite the song, from beginning to end without the music playing and can spell it, then you should translate the song to English. The worst case scenario is at least you can hum and sing the song under your breath to convince others you are speaking that language, which may not fool the natives of that language but could fool somebody into thinking you cannot understand them and then avoid any questioning altogether. If you want to become proficient in a language, the quickest method is to immerse yourself in the language and culture, cooking your favorite SurvivalBlog recipe after you have translated it into French. Another note about culture has to do with table etiquette, which can reveal where you are from, especially in Europe.

Morse Code

Morse code is an ancient, barely used dialect. As I’m writing this, my daughter distracts me while she is playing on my smart phone, which starts beeping. She is playing with one of my Morse Code applications, which teaches morse code in a fun way. Morse code also has international codes, making it versatile.

Driving

When I was stationed in Afghanistan, we had civilian vehicles. What was weird was the fact that the driver wheel was on the right-hand side of the vehicle. Oh, yes, and it was stick shift. I already could drive a stick shift, so I was a lucky one who got to drive the vehicles instead of hoofing it. The key here, is that I could drive a stick shift.

Sailing

I’m here in the Mid-west and have always loved ship adventure books, but I thought that sailing was something I could never learn. Enter CLSA, Cowan Lake Sailing Association, and twenty dollars. Now I have several sailing hours under my belt from an entry class. I was amazed how inexpensive it was and how much experience I got from it. Sailing ships are used everywhere, and having this skill could help you charter passageway for work if you already have some experience. Also, many coast cities have harbors where you can find lots of handy work to do working on boats. I’ve spent hours on this subject realizing there is a plethora of skills that can be leaned heavily upon. Rigging is something you learn a lot with sailing, which is multi-functional. As seen in the national safety council chart, “falling” is a common cause of death. So, learn how to tie a Swiss Seat; you could even keep one for the car with some basic carabiners. Learn some rigging skills and practice them. Rigging is one of the most under taught skills of city dwellers; so, learn rigging for trucking, climbing, boating, and anything else you can get a hold of.

Networking

If you had to go to another country, who would you visit? You should have a few contacts in the areas of interest of your “bug out location” that you could contact for help, or at least can claim you were visiting for the sake of legitimacy. Having a small list of some names and locations in your wallet; this list could assist you in remembering who these people are. So, if you intended to go to Winnipeg, Canada, meet some people online that have like interest, perhaps hockey. Build a list of people and keep in contact with them. Then, if something comes up where you must for whatever reason bug out, you then have a list of people you could contact who already know who you are and an excuse, such as a hockey game or music, et cetera. These people should not know anything about you beyond that you love the Winnipeg Jets. You should know about hockey and keep some literature on hand should you need to refresh the details of hockey and the Jets.

Passport

Have one, and use it. Create a routine of visiting different locations, so it is not out of the ordinary, both for yourself and as far as your paperwork goes. Being familiar with a process, such as a border crossing, can turn something from a mountain to a mole hill. Also, you can become familiar with practices and routines and so can identify unusual security precautions that could threaten your personal mission.

Two Letters Re: License Plate Readers

HJL,

Depending on the police to find your stolen vehicle is fine, but I would rather have the ability to speed up the process myself by having a GPS tracker in my vehicle. I’ve been watching the kickstarters and fundraising campaigns of several bluetooth and GPS trackers. It seems like there is finally one that works the way I want it to.

I intend to use this for my kids, vehicle, RV, and outbuildings at my BOL. I hate the idea of being helpless to recover my property or find my child if the worst happens and they are kidnapped. – Redoubt Renee

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Hi,

I hate to rain on anyone’s parade, but it is illegal in most states (probably all) to block or deface a license plate. – Uncle Mike

Economics and Investing:

If Gold’s A “Barbarous Relic,” Why Do Governments Want It So Much?

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Gold, Liberty, and the War on Cash – Jeff Nielson – DSV

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Feds Paid $1 Billion in Social Security Benefits to Individuals Without a SSN – B.B.

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Hard Times: Sweden Complains It Collects Too Much Tax – P.S.

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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Are you stuck working in NYC and think you need a better evacuation strategy in a disaster? You might want to check these guys out: Planbmarine

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Author of Book on Islamic Terror: ‘UCLA Banned My Book From Free Speech Event’. “Administrators at UCLA’s law school allowed student protestors to block an invited author from selling his book about Islamic terrorism at a university seminar about free speech, according to the author.” – T.P.

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Google is Quietly Recording Everything You Say – K.T.

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Appeals Court Rules Against Second Amendment and Semiautomatic Rifles – B.B.

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Is this what you thought? MSNBC Anchor Declares It the Media’s Job to ‘Control Exactly What People Think’ – D.S.

Notes for Wednesday – February 22, 2017

On this day in 1732, George Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, the second son from the second marriage of a colonial plantation owner. An initially loyal British subject, Washington eventually led the Continental Army in the American Revolution and became known as the father of the United States.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 69 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $15,000 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 that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 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 with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel 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, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. An infrared sensor/imaging camouflage shelter from Snakebite Tactical in Eureka, Montana (A $350+ value),
  6. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  7. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $2,400 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. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. A selection of canned meats containing a 10 pack of 28oz cans of Premium Beef and a 5 pack of 28oz cans of Premium Pork from Wertz’s Farm Market (a $300 value),
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize:

  1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A custom made Sage Grouse model utility/field knife from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  4. 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,
  5. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  6. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  7. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  8. Montie Gear is donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a $125 Montie gear Gift certificate.,
  9. 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), and
  10. Fifteen LifeStraws from SafeCastle (a $300 value).
  11. A $250 gift certificate to Tober’s Traditions, makers of all natural (organic if possible) personal care products, such as soap, tooth powder, deodorant, sunscreen, lotion, and more.

Round 69 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.

Donkeys As Pack Animals For Survival And Recreation- Part 2, by B.W.

1

We are fortunate to have a mother donkey and two of her offspring from subsequent years who are both females (jennys). We have had the younger ones since they were foals and have hiked with them and their mother since they were four or five months old. The mother was always on a lead, but the younger one were both on lead and off lead. By doing this we trained the younger ones to keep up with us off lead when we are in wide open spaces. As a result of this, we can hike in the state forests on old logging roads with the younger ones off lead even without the mother, and the youngsters look at us as the lead donkey and rarely ever get more than 100 yards away from us. The mother donkey can not reliably be turned loose off lead. She doesn’t run away, but she considers herself to be the leader since she was older when we got her and makes little attempt to keep up with us. We are blessed to live in a place where we can go with our donkeys and dogs off lead. This is definitely an advantage of rural living in areas with vast expanses of public land. Our donkeys also forage as they go through the woods with their packs. This makes for more efficient travel as it reduces the amount of roughage that must be carried. When the younger donkeys are off lead, they sometimes lag behind and sometimes run ahead, but they do not impede our general travel speed. When they come back to make contact with us, we reward them with a scratch behind the ears or a treat. When we were at the second annual International Donkey Symposium in Davis, California a couple of years ago, I talked to a donkey rescuer who would go for extended treks into the desert alone with seven or eight pack donkeys. He would lead the dominant donkey, and all the others would follow. This made it feasible for him to carry alot of gear and water while only having to control one donkey.

In addition to the fact that donkeys’ feet are smaller than a horse, they are much tougher and more elastic. They rarely if ever need to be shod. I jog with my donkeys on back country gravel roads, which naturally keep their feet trimmed, and I’ve never had any lameness issues. If your donkeys spend all their time on lush soft pasture, you will need to manually trim their feet. Donkeys are much less likely to get laminitis than horses. Laminitis is an inflammation of the feet often caused by over eating of concentrates, among other causes. It causes immediate lameness that can permanently change the conformation of the feet leading to chronic lameness.

Donkeys have the reputation of being stubborn, ornery animals, which I believe is undeserved. I will admit that all our donkeys are jennys and not jacks (males), making them much easier to handle. It would be my recommendation that if you get a male donkey for working purposes that you get a gelding or castrated jack. The reason that donkeys appear stubborn is that they are more cautious and less reactive than horses. Horses, especially horses that have not been handled a lot, respond to you on the ground in a round pen situation because of their reactive natures. You can create a desired movement by the horse as a reaction to a movement by you on the ground in the center of that circle. This is due to the self preserving herd based nature of the horse. A similar movement by you to a donkey may produce a donkey that looks at you as if to say ” What on earth are you doing?”. Donkeys are actually more intelligent than horses, but they learn their lessons more slowly and in a different way. However, once they learn a lesson whether good or bad, they rarely forget it. I have always tried to use coaxing rather than coercion on my donkeys when training, and as a result they are very loving and tractable animals. As with all animals, all training sessions should end on a good note with the animal doing something no matter how small that it can be praised for. Donkeys are also extremely steady. The first time I put their harness on they acted as if they had worn it their entire lives. In addition, they seem to be completely unaffected by gunfire. They frequently come and stand by the fence while I target practice with my Ruger Blackhawk in 44 mag.

One advantage of having several smaller pack animals rather than one large animal, such as a horse, in an emergency situation is that in the case of a debilitating injury or sickness you can redistribute your load between the remaining animals, whereas if your one large animal goes down you will have to leave most of your supplies there and only take what you can carry on your back.

Besides carrying loads, donkeys can pull carts and wagons, if the terrain allows. They can easily pull two times their body weight. Another job that they are used for is as a guard for other animals, such as sheep and cattle. Donkeys are very tuned in to dogs as possible threats because of this, so if you get donkeys I would recommend exposing them to your dogs at a young age to allow them to get comfortable with each other.

In the actual packing of your donkeys, the most important idea is to not overload them and to balance their load. Some people carry a small hanging scale for this purpose. I tighten my cinch which goes around their chest pretty tight with the girth less so. A small tie between cinch and girth strap will keep the girth strap from slipping back. The packing harness also has a chest strap and a rump strap to keep it from sliding backwards and forwards. These should be loose enough to not impede motion but tight enough perform their function. I try to keep the chest strap loose enough to allow the donkey to put its head down easily. My last pack I purchased had a saddle pad that attached to the wooden saddle. This was a great improvement over a saddle that just sat on top of the pad in that it kept the pad from sliding around. Also it is best to pack heavier items lower and lighter bulky items higher in the pannier.

I vaccinate our donkeys for tetanus, equine influenza, eastern and western encephalomyelitis, and rabies. I deworm them every three or four months and rotate the classes of wormers I use to minimize parasite resistance. However, proper manure management has been shown to be just as effective in reducing intestinal worm burdens in equines. Other vaccines, such as West Nile, may be important in your area. You should contact your local veterinarian.

After considering the possibility of using donkeys as pack animals for quite some time, the final impetus for actually getting animals of our own was a trip to Colorado for a veterinary meeting. While there, we learned that donkey racing is very popular in Colorado and is being considered as the Colorado state sport. There are five mountain towns that during the months of July and August have races on subsequent weekends that range from five miles to the granddaddy race that is 26 miles long and ends at 13,000 feet in altitude. The rules are simple; you run with your donkey and both of you must cross the finish line together. The donkey must also carry a shovel, a pick, and a gold pan, since this is supposed to be a re-creation of the old miner’s races to establish gold claims. So we went to get a young donkey from a breeder in New Jersey and came back with the mother who happened to be pregnant, and now we have three. This is about par for the course from what I hear from other people with donkeys. They are like potato chips; you can never have just one. Had I known that these animals were so loving and affectionate and such a joy to have around, I would have had them long ago. I can not walk in my back yard without them braying at me for attention. This appears to not necessarily be a need for treats, since they seem to be quite happy with a hug and a scratch behind the ears.

I purchased my packsaddles and panniers online from Bantam Pack Saddles in Idaho. These are custom made based on your donkey’s measurements, were reasonably priced, and have proven very functional. As far as where to get a donkey, there are breeders online, and the U.S. government has a program to find homes for excess donkeys on BLM lands. There are also various donkey rescue organizations, which have donkeys for sale. Lastly, there are animal auction houses where donkeys are available. If you get younger animals I would recommend trying to see the mother and father to get an idea of how big they are going to be. Donkeys don’t reach their full height until they are two years old and don’t fill out completely until four or five. So you can’t fit their packs until they are two. If the animal is an adult, handle it a lot, especially the feet, and see it in action if it is a working animal. A veterinary pre-purchase exam is always a good thing also to insure you are getting a healthy animal.

While I hope that our need for our donkeys will only be for recreational purposes, such as donkey racing in Colorado, hauling an elk out of the woods in Idaho, or just having some really sweet pets, I have no doubt that in an emergency situation they will meet our needs as pack animals. They are always eager for adventure and practically run to load in their stock trailer for hiking trips now. Mechanical means of transport are great in times of plenty and on trails where they are allowed, but in Pennsylvania there are almost no public lands where you can take off road or on road vehicles with the exception for snowmobiles, which are obviously only wintertime vehicles. So for recreational purposes in the state and national forests, pack animals are a good way to go for long camping trips. In times of emergency when there is no fuel or electricity to pump the fuel or vehicles functional to use the fuel, we truly will be thrown 100 years into the past, and pack animals will be a must. Consider owning donkeys. You won’ t be disappointed.

Letter Re: License Plate Readers

HJL,

There are lots of comments on defeating plate readers. Before anyone gets too cranked up about defeating them, they should consider that plate readers may be what helps the cops recover their vehicle when it’s stolen.

They are a powerful tool and like any other information collection system, I suppose the information can be misused, but I’m not clear exactly how that would happen.

Our local police department had a residential burglary with a witness providing a partial plate. Cops ran the partial for similiars and got a picture of the whole plate and the driver and recovered all the loot. Put the burglar in jail. – H.L.

HJL’s Comment: This is always the trade– freedom for safety. How much of your freedom are you willing to trade for a little bit of safety? Our society is steadily marching towards the “safety” zone and giving up more of their freedoms in the process. However, then the question becomes: “Is it really safety or just slavery under the guise of safety?”.

Economics and Investing:

Natural Gas Bulls Crushed As Prices Tank. Natural gas prices have plunged to their lowest level since November due to mild weather and the threat of increasing supply.

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Silver Bullion – The Buying Opportunity of the Decade – DSV

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CONTINENTAL RESOURCES: Example Of What Is Horribly Wrong With The U.S. Shale Oil Industry

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Global Trade Disaster Nearly Certain

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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books:

What to Expect When You’re Expecting

The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook: Easy Recipes for Fast & Healthy Meals

Movies:

God’s Not Dead

Galaxy Quest

Music:

Lau: Lightweights & Gentlemen

Leo Kottke: Six And Twelve String Guitar

Instructional Videos:

DIY How to add Paracord to your MFT Battlelink Stock

Podcasts:

Radio Free Redoubt: Episode 17-06: Do Not Oppress the Sojourner – and – HUNTED: Analysis and Review. (Also available via iTunes.)

The Survival Podcast: Episode-799- Greenhouse Thoughts, Construction, Usage and Considerations

Blogs:

Total Survivalist Blog

Brushbeater

Gear:

Rothco Flyers Helmet Shoulder Bag, Olive Drab (These are great for organizing and transporting sets of web gear for your defensive guns.)

Flambeau Outdoors 7-Tray Hip Roof Tackle Box. (Not just for fishing, these are perfect for storing spare gun parts.)

AlienTACS CQC Transformer Wide Padded Quick Adjust 2-Point 1-1/4″ Sling

Notes for Tuesday – February 21, 2017

February 21st is the birthday of Zimbabwe’s President For Life, Comrade Robert Mugabe (born 1924). Despite the 2011 revelations of the apparent murder of at least 640 political opponents, Mugabe was elected again in 2013 to a five year term in office. Mugabe and his ZANU-PF henchmen must be driven out office and sent to prison, where they belong!

February 21st is also the birthday of Group Captain Douglas Bader (born 1910, died 5 September 1982). He was a Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter ace during the Second World War. He lost his legs in a pre-war flying accident, but that didn’t stop him from re-entering the RAF when war broke out. He was credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable, and 11 enemy aircraft damaged. Bader was eventually shot down and became a POW in Germany. Since the Luftwaffe ran its own POW camps, he became a celebrity with his captors. The Germans would lock up his hollow metal prosthetic legs each night to prevent him from escaping. Bader’s autobiography Reach for the Sky is a must for those studying aviation in World War II.

o o o

Today, we present another entry for Round 69 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $15,000 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 that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 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 with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel 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, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. An infrared sensor/imaging camouflage shelter from Snakebite Tactical in Eureka, Montana (A $350+ value),
  6. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  7. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $2,400 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. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. A selection of canned meats containing a 10 pack of 28oz cans of Premium Beef and a 5 pack of 28oz cans of Premium Pork from Wertz’s Farm Market (a $300 value),
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize:

  1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. A custom made Sage Grouse model utility/field knife from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  4. 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,
  5. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  6. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  7. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  8. Montie Gear is donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a $125 Montie gear Gift certificate.,
  9. 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), and
  10. Fifteen LifeStraws from SafeCastle (a $300 value).
  11. A $250 gift certificate to Tober’s Traditions, makers of all natural (organic if possible) personal care products, such as soap, tooth powder, deodorant, sunscreen, lotion, and more.

Round 69 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.