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5 Most Vital Knife Care Tips

/ jlm990 / 1 Comment

This is a guest article by Billy Trotter, a knife designer in the UK. His website is at: https://perkinknives.com/

Sure, you may have never even thought about sharpening your knife before, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t do it. In fact, that means that you should definitely do it. No two ways about that, really. Otherwise, a few months will simply pass, and before you even know it, all your knives are dull and pretty much useless in the grand scheme of things. Now that isn’t a desirable situation by any means. Especially if you’re the kind of person who uses your knives a lot.

Now, whether it’s for a stainless steel folding knife or a survival knife, knives on the whole do require a great deal of care and looking after. If you happen to be a knife enthusiast, you will most certainly know exactly what I am talking about. If you don’t know even a single knife care tip, having so many knives is really not going to be of much use, whatsoever. Making yourself aware of a few vital tips is pretty much the first step towards taking good care of your knife or knife set.

On that very note, let us take a good look at some of the most important knife care tips:-

  • Testing your knife with a piece of paper: Though it may sound a bit silly to some of you out there, this is the best way of figuring out whether they really need to be sharpened or not. If the knife cleanly cuts through, then you know for sure that you’ve found the razor edge that you need.
  • For sharpening, start with a paring knife: In this regard, it is recommended that you start with a much lighter and smaller 8-10 inch plastic paring knife. Also, remember to try and avoid any knives that happen to have bolsters. That is one aspect that you cannot afford to forget about.
  • Honing your knife is just as important as sharpening it: Don’t automatically assume that just because a knife isn’t cutting cleanly means it isn’t sharp. The sharp edge might have rolled over, or it may even be out of alignment. Make sure that you use a honing steel to fix a rolled edge.
  • Apply more pressure when sharpening: One of the most common knife sharpening mistakes is a lack of properly applied pressure. You need to make sure that you are applying the proper amount of pressure.
  • The angle of sharpening does matter: If you take a look at all the expert knife sharpeners, you will see that all of them use specific degrees for particular tasks. It is as simple as that, provided you want to achieve as much accuracy as possible. Like splitting chickens would be about 20 degrees and cutting cucumbers would be about 10.

At the end of the day, be it getting to know and implementing different types of ATT00022sharpening, or slowly getting on your way to becoming a master bladesmith, you need to take care of your knives in every way possible. After all, what’s the point of getting some of the most expensive and exquisite knives on the market if you’re not going to take good care of them and simply neglect them?

Apart from the above tips, make sure that you know exactly which of them are most important for your knife in particular and focus on those tips in particular. After all, not all knives are made equally or from the same materials. Keeping that fact in mind at all times is a must.

For additional information on blade sharpening equipment, check our article “Sharpen Those Blades”

Survival Hax Roadside Emergency Kit Review

/ jlm990 / 3 Comments

j1QtBrR_1_1024x1024Many preppers spend much time and money preparing for extreme problems such as SHTF or even TEOTWAWKI. They sometimes forget that prepping is as much involved in day-to-day survival as the extreme catastrophes. Most of us spend a considerable amount of time in our autos, but many people fail to have a proper emergency kit in them. Survival Hax makes a good basic roadside emergency kit to get you started.

When I received my example from Survival Hax, I opened it up and laid out the contents. Here is what comes in it.

  • Bungee Cords x 3812GMCxHwJL__SL1446_
  • Jumper Cables x 1
  • Cable Ties x 15
  • PVC Tape x 1
  • Flashlight x 1
  • Fire Starter Flint x 1
  • Long Candle x 1
  • Gloves with grippers x 1
  • 9 in 1 Multitool x 1
  • Tire Pressure Guage x 1
  • Reflective Safety Vest x 1
  • Light Sticks x 2
  • 8″ Crescent Wrench x 1
  • 9 Foot Tow Rope x 1
  • Reflective Warning Triangle x 1
  • Rain Poncho x 1
  • Glassbreaker / Seatbelt Cutter Tool x 1
  • Emergency Whistle x 1

It also comes with a first aid kit which I will cover shortly.

The bag it comes in has reflective tape and closes with a velcro handle. It also has room to add more items which I will cover shortly. The reflective safety vest and rain poncho are pretty basic. They will do the job, probably more than once, but were not meant for sustained use. They will help keep you safe fixing a flat on the side of the road. The warning triangle is a good item.  It gives oncoming traffic warning that they are coming up on a stalled vehicle and to drive accordingly. It is especially good if you are just around a curve, and you put it out a bit back from the curve. The glassbreaker/seatbelt cutter seems adequate for the job, but this item should be kept up in the driver compartment with you.  It will help you escape your car if your seatbelt or window are stuck. But only if you have it with you. The flashlight is a battery free squeeze generator type and would help you to deal with emergencies at night, as well as the light sticks. The 8″ crescent wrench seems to be basically functional and well made, but I haven’t actually tested it. The bungee cords and twist ties would have a number of functional uses. The jumper cables are pretty light duty but similar to what you would buy at Wall Mart. The whistle, fire starter, and emergency candle would be useful if you were stranded somewhere for a while, but you would really need a lot more in an emergency survival kit. Tire pressure gauge and whistle are self-explanatory. The roll of electrical tape would have many uses. The tow strap looks good enough to perhaps tow a mid-sized vehicle on a paved road, but it is not a heavy-duty strap

multi toolThe one item that I was particularly impressed with is the multi tool. This is a very well made item. The handle is slightly rounded, and stainless steel. The blade could use a good sharpening, but that is an easy fix. Really a good little tool. glovesFinally, the gloves are interesting with their rubber grip buds. They will do fine to keep your hands clean while changing a tire.

The First Aid Kit

First aid kitI treated this separately because I think a first aid kit for an auto is an essential item. Here is the packing list for the kit.

  • Gauze Pads x 4
  • Band-Aids x 20
  • Alcohol Prep Pad x 6
  • Tourniquet x 1
  • Antiseptic Wipes x 4
  • Scissors x 1
  • First-Aid Tape x 1
  • Metal Tweezers x 1
  • Mylar Blanket x 1
  • Elastic Bandage (small) x 1
  • Elastic Bandage (large) x 1
  • PVC Gloves x 1

As you can see from the contents, this is a pretty basic kit for minor injuries. I recommend that you upgrade it with some serious bandages such as the Israeli combat bandage. If you are on medication, you should add at least two days to a week’s  worth and rotate them out regularly. A better tourniquet would also be recommended.

As for additional items to add to the kit , I would recommend a basic tool kit.

Keep in mind that pre made kits like this have items that are meant to get you through an individual emergency, and not necessarily to hang through a year of SHTF or TEOTWAWKI.

This kit normally retails for $49.95, but If you buy this kit on Amazon here, you can get a  $25.00 discount using the promo code OFROAD50 at checkout.

Summary

I think that this is an excellent starter kit for someone who has no emergency roadside kit set up. It has a lot of the basics you would need for safety, and you can add additional items to suit your individual needs. Using the promo code this kit will only cost you $25.00 which is a lot less than buying the items individually. I think it is a good buy for the price.

 

 

In Flander’s Fields. And Why Veterans Increasingly Matter

/ jlm990 / 7 Comments

“In Flanders fields the poppies grow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead.   Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
DF-SC-84-11899To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.”

My father taught me this poem as a child. I can still recite it. At the 11th hour, on the 11th day, of the 11th month in 1918 the most horrendous war the world had seen up to that time ended. Unless you are a military historian, most people do not understand the horrific carnage that raged in Europe between 1914 and 1918. It was the first World War. I have been to the battlefield in Verdun France. The local farmers were still carrying gas masks to protect against the occasional gas shell that could still be dug up.

November 11 is celebrated in the United States as Veterans Day. It is also celebrated inhaig-fund-poppy-250 the UK and Commonwealth countries as Remembrance Day.  We celebrate it to honor all veterans of the armed forces. Memorial Day, which is celebrated on the last Monday in May, remembers all who gave their lives for our country in war. Replica poppies are often worn on both sides of the Atlantic to remember our veterans.

It is important to remember the sacrifices of our nations veterans in all of our past and ongoing wars. But the value of veterans is not only in what they have already done, but in what they are capable of doing. The United States of America was founded by veterans. Many of them veterans of the British Army in the French and Indian wars. Many of various European armies and continental wars. And up until recent years, veterans played a dominant role in government.

The United States is going through a major political crisis right now. Last November m-4-soldiermiddle America began waking up to the economic and political disaster we had become after eight years of Obama supported by 30 years or more of leftist indoctrination in our education system, and elected Donald Trump. Since that election, we have seen just how deep the corrosion and criminality of the Deep State and the mainstream of both parties had gone. And they will do everything they can to reverse that trend, legal or not.

The potential of serious upheaval in this country is the reason the Founders put the Second Amendment into our Constitution. And  the ongoing series of wars this country has been involved in has given us a tremendous number of combat veterans.

Every member of the Armed Forces takes an oath to defend the CONSTITUTION against all enemies, foreign and DOMESTIC. And millions of them are highly armed and remember that oath. And will live by it.

That is a factor that the Deep State, the corrupt establishment of both parties, and the Marxist/Leftist likes of ANTIFA need to remember.

Happy Veterans Day

 

 

Guide to Picking the Best Mattress & Sleeping Pad for Survival

/ jlm990 / 8 Comments

This is a guest article by Will Bermudez 

“Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst!” This already famous truism is the perfect advice for all humanity: the smartest thing to do to ensure our survival is to have a strategy for the times when such planning will be required. One may hope those times will never come, but being ready for any circumstances is a moral duty. One essential detail you need to think about when developing a survival strategy – whether if it is for living in the wild or for surviving a natural disaster – is sleeping arrangements. Depending on your needs, you’ll be inclined to choose between a mattress and a sleeping pad. I tried both options, and I can’t decisively swing over one or another. They both have numerous pros. But in the end, the choice is based on individual preferences. That’s why I put together a short guide to help you consider vital factors when making your purchase of either a mattress or a pad – or both.

Think comfort

Whether you want a thin sleeping pad or a thick air mattress, seek the most comfortable option according to your needs. If you have health issues, allergies or back pains or you just have to sleep in a specific position, choose the product that addresses your problem. Read the descriptions of the products carefully; ask the retailer for more details and, most importantly, read the buyers’ reviews. Test the pad or the mattress, if you have the possibility, for at least 15 minutes, in your favorite sleeping position.

Think storage and transportation

sleeping padModern pads and mattresses are designed to pack small, especially the outdoors models. Some pads pack to the size of a soda can. Deflated mattresses take little space in backpacks as well. But remember that you should focus on quality: the ultra-light ones may not offer the same sleep experience as the full body length ones. Sometimes too thin can mean a hard bed; too large, and the pad or mattress is difficult to carry. Considering you’ll probably sleep on the ground or the floor of a shelter, you should go for a thicker product, but still easy to transport.

Think materials and durability

The sleeping pad & mattress industry has evolved a lot over the past decades in all aspects – materials, weight, versatility, features. Pads are usually made of dense foam filled with tiny closed air cells. Most airbeds are made of PVC and other leading-edge materials meant to increase their durability. A thicker PVC layer (0.6 mm, for instance) offers better insulation, but can also bring extra weight. Good news is that lately, manufacturers went for fumes-free materials for airbeds, which reduces the safety concerns regarding the chemicals in these products.

Think power source

Consider the fact that you may not have an electric power source or that the one you have might get cut off. Thus, if you want to choose an air mattress, look for a self-sufficient product that can be inflated manually, or that can work on batteries as well.

Think quality and price

Try to find the best brands on the market, the ones that have been around for a long while and have developed a wide range of models, making them better and more affordable. Research thoroughly what others have to say about a particular product or brand; TryMattress recommends checking the website of the manufacturer and even the social media accounts since many people choose to give reviews on these networks. Last but not least, consider the fact that a good and reliable product will not be cheap, but it will be a long-term investment in your safety and comfort.

mattress

Publisher’s note: Amazon carries a good selection of sleeping pads and air mattresses.

So How Do We Protect Our Houses of Worship?

/ jlm990 / 7 Comments

 

ChurchAgain. A church was attacked. 26 people, some children were murdered. As usual, the liberal cry of “gun control” rings out, ignoring that the murderer was stopped by two honest citizens with guns before he could continue the carnage.

Christian churches and Jewish Synagogues have come increasingly under attack in recent years.  Many preppers worship at one or the other.  But oddly enough, people who will prep to the max and arm to the teeth will often not even consider proper security measure where they worship. It is a combination of the psychological trust that God will protect them, as well as the idea that a House of Worship is meant to be an open and welcoming atmosphere available to all, and that proper security measures would hinder this. There was a time in this country when even a hard-bitten criminal might hesitate to commit a crime in a religious place. Those days are long gone.

And there is a reason I know this. In my real life, I am in the security industry. I have a degree in Industrial Retail Security. I am a member of the American Society for Industrial Security International (ASIS) one of the largest security organizations in the world. I hold their Physical Security Professional Certification, which is one of the most difficult to acquire security certifications in the world.

But more importantly, in the context of this article, I am the Chair of the Phoenix Chapter ASIS House of Worship Committee. And we provide FREE security surveys and advice to any House of Worship that requests it. Notice the emphasis on the word FREE.  And I am about as busy in this role as a Maytag Repairman.

Most large churches in this country have quietly adopted a security posture. Some have gone as far as to actually incorporate in-house security guards. Some hire outside security for services. But it is the medium and smaller churches and synagogues that are sadly lacking in proper security. And need it the most. Many of my comments below may ruffle some feathers, but ruffled feathers beat the hell out of a bullet to the head.

There is no such thing as perfect security. But there is a lot that medium and small-sized religious house can do to mitigate the threat.

First, accept the fact that it CAN happen to you!

Yes, you Pastor and your flock. And why not? It has been happening in churches all across the country for some time now. What makes you and your church more special than anyone else? I am not trying to offend anyone here, but it is time for the religious community to WAKE UP and accept the fact that they are targets, and perceived as soft targets, for criminals, the mentally disturbed, and terrorists.

Second, Get Organized

Take stock of your assets. Does your congregation have active or retired Law Enforcement Officers? Military? Combat veterans? Form a Security and Safety Committee. This would be made up of the Senior Pastor and whatever security expertise you may have in the congregation. Take stock of your current situation. Where is your church located? Out in the country? High crime district? If you want some good crime statistics of your local neighborhood, ask your local police. Or you can purchase an in-depth report from  CAP INDEX at https://capindex.com/ . It may cost you a little, but it is in-depth and compares your community to surrounding areas. Do a complete and proper physical security survey of your church or facility. If you have members of your congregation who has experience doing these, so much the better. If not, see if you have a local ASIS chapter nearby that will do one for free. Or ask your local police department if they will do one. If nothing else, hire a professional security consultant to do one. Trust me, it will be worth it. A professional physical security survey will show you your vulnerabilities and will show you how to avoid all kinds of pitfalls ranging from local ordinance violation to avoiding theft of your offerings up to mitigating an active shooter situation.

Third, Start Planning

By now your Security and Safety Committee should have a pretty good idea of your assets and vulnerabilities. If you have active Law Enforcement in your congregation, see if they will rotate being armed and in uniform posted in the lobby or out front during services. Get to know your local police department. See if they will use your parking lot during services to do their paperwork or when taking breaks. An armed uniformed presence is a serious discouragement to active shooters. They are called predators for a reason, and are looking for soft targets that will get them the most body count.

Fourth, Train

All church staff should have an understanding of situational awareness.   Ushers and greeters should be especially alert. At least one member of the Security and Safety Committee should be tasked with keeping abreast of current trends in regards to church security. A few people should be trained in advanced first aid, and supplies kept on hand. If you have older parishioners, a defibrillator would be a good idea. There is a tremendous amount of free information from security organizations on the web. You need to develop plans for various contingencies and train for them. How do you evacuate in case of fire? If an active shooter situation occurs, who calls 911?, How is the children’s center secured? What is the evacuation plan? Etc. And rehearse those plans. Here is a link to an ASIS pdf document that has a number of recommendations for church security.

Click to access SecuringHOWs.pdf

The Subject of Firearms in the Church

This is a delicate subject but one that needs careful consideration. Do you want an armed presence during services? I believe that the best defense against a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun who is trained to use it. Much of this will depend on your location, and the various laws that apply to your jurisdiction. It will also depend on the culture of your organization. This is a subject that the Security and Safety Committee needs to take a hard look at. Exactly who do you want to be armed during services? And under what set of rules.

Summary

This is a very short article on a very complex subject, and my intent is to make members of religious organizations think. This barely touches the surface of the issues involved. Christians and Jews especially are under increasing attack in this country from the mentally deranged and political and religious fanatics. Our Sanctuaries are no longer safe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Survival Water Filter by Survival Hax

/ jlm990 / 4 Comments

Drinkable water is going to be on the top of the survival priority list in any situation. Whether you are stranded on the road for three days, evading a natural disaster for three weeks, or dealing with TEOTWAWKI for the next three decades, without having enough clean drinking water to stay alive, all of your other preps will not matter. There are a number of ways to treat water to make it drinkable. Having a personal water filter is one of those ways, and has a number of tactical advantages. They are light weight, and inexpensive so each person in your group can have and carry at least two. I see these as reserve items. You should have as much stored water as possible at your main location, as well as larger family sized filters. But these are useful especially if you are on the go and bugging out on foot. Water weighs a lot, and you won’t be able to carry a lot with you. Boiling takes time, requires you stay in one place long enough to do it, and requires fuel. The advantage to portable personal water filters is that you can drink on the go, as you find water.

Survival Hax is a company that imports a line of inexpensive but well made survival items. I have written about their survival shovel,  as well as their EDC keychain

According to the manufacturer, this water filter has the following characteristics:

  • Filter up to 400 gallons (1,500 liters) of drinkable water with one straw. (30% more efficient than standard portable filters.)
  • Advanced filter purifies at .1 microns and removes 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites.
  • Chemical Free technology for healthy water intake.
  • Lightweight and easy to store (3oz, 7.5in long, 1in diameter). Perfect for Bug Out Bags.

There are a number of portable water filters on the market, and honestly, all about equally as good.  The particular filter has a number of add ons, including a small compass, small mirror,  and the end cap is a whistle.  Cute, but to me, probably not that all useful. A well-built carabiner allows it to be attached easily on the outside of your gear if you want. But it DOES have a couple features that I consider very useful. If you look at the picture above of the woman drinking, notice how close down to the water she has to get. This filter comes with a length of surgical tubing which will fit on the end to allow you more stand-off from the water.  This allows you to keep your head up higher and to be able to look around while drinking, enhancing your security. The tubing could also be used as an emergency tourniquet.

But the one feature that really stands out for me on this particular filter, is that the end cap is threaded so that you can screw on a standard 28mm plastic water bottle. This has a number of advantages. Water locations can be dangerous places in a serious situation, attracting all kinds of two and four-legged critters. With a couple spare empty bottles, you can fill them up quickly and move on to drink the water away from the water source. I see this as a definite advantage.  You can get one from Survival Hax or from Amazon Prime

Survival Hax 10 in 1 EDC Keychain

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EDC (Every Day Carry) are those items you want on you (or within immediate reach) at all times. Each person’s EDC kit will be different and will be based to a large degree on personal preference, and to some degree on your usual location.

When SurvivalHax.com sent me their 10 in 1 EDC keychain for review, I was pretty interested.  This is basically a mini-fishing kit with fire starter stored in a waterproof aluminum case attached to 4 feet of braided Para cord with a whistle attached to a small carabiner.

 The aluminum container holds :

3 Fishing lines 2 x Hooks 2 x Weights 2 x Floaters 2 x Sinkers 2 x Swivels 1 Knife 1 Tinder cotton 1 Ferrocerium rod 2 Safety Pins and  1 cable saw
61qBzJU-tHL__SL1187_

The first thing I tested was the whistle. Although not police quality, it got the immediate attention of both the wife and the cat, each vying to give me the meanest scowl. It is certainly loud enough for signaling purposes. The carabiner is of lightweight metal but seems to be of good quality. Although I did not unbraid the paracord, it also looks to be well made.

The small finger knife has a sharp edge and a saw edge. The sharp edge wasn’t that sharp, but a few swipes on a sharpener solved that, and it will now cut the fishing line if needed, and I am confident I could gut a fish with it. The main use of the knife is as a striker for the Ferrocerium rod. Holding it by the ring end and striking it like a match down the rod produces a goodly ammount of sparks, certainly enough to start a fire with proper tinder. I didn’t try the small cotton tinder roll, as I am soaking it in Vaseline and placing it in a small plastic pill bag.

Living in the Sonoran Desert I am not real close to a handy stream to try the fishing gear, but it is certainly adequately made. The hooks, floats and weight seem to be of good quality.The small wire saw is sufficient to cut a small pole for a fishing rod, but I doubt it would hold up to hard continuous use. But then again, it wasn’t designed to. This is an EDC kit to get you home to your main gear.

The aluminum case is indeed waterproof with a thin rubber gasket between the two parts.  I tend to adapt my gear. I recently did an article on the SurvivalHax.com nifty little Survival Shovel.  Both handels are hollow, and I filled one with cotton balls wrapped in a plastic bag to use with the fire starter. I am going to take the fishing components on the 10 in 1, wrap them in a plastic bag, and place them in the second hollow handle. The shovel is attached to my get home bag I keep in the back of my Jeep.  As I require certain medication, I am going to fill the waterproof metal case with one weeks worth of medication and attach it also to the get home bag.

Conclusion

All in all, this is a pretty nifty little set up for the price. The items are well made. You can use it as intended as an EDC keychain, or divvy up the components as I did. Available from SurvivalHax.com  or on Amazon.

 

Survival Fishing Tips: How to Spearfish

/ jlm990 / 3 Comments

This is a guest article by Lisa Johnson

You are interested in becoming an expert underwater hunter and you are searching for some spearfishing tips? Everyone is interested in becoming a great spearfisher and this article of spearfishing guidelines and tips will improve you quickly and make you a great spearfisher.

We will be happy to share our best strategies on how to catch fish under the water based on the years of experience we have gathered. So read on!

What is spearfishing?

Spearfishing is the process of going underwater to hunt fish by breath-hold diving with the utilization of a polespear or spearguns. Spearfishing of today utilizes elastic controlled spearguns and slings to hunt down the fish. Specialized equipment and techniques have been developed for spearfishing.

Spearfishing may be carried out utilizing free-diving, scuba or snorkeling diving strategy. Spearfishing while at the same time utilizing scuba gear is unlawful in some nations. The utilization of mechanically fueled spearguns is likewise prohibited in some jurisdictions and countries.

Spearfishing is very specific, usually utilizes no lure and requires no by-catch. Spearfishing is a lifestyle for some people! For some people, it’s an extraordinary game, brimming with adrenaline, and likewise, for others, it’s a wonderful universe of silence and mysterious life.

The technique utilized when spearfishing is imperative for the achievement. Try not to overlook that there are numerous methods depending on the kind of fish you want to hunt. Also, not just that. Your adopted technique will assume an extremely important role when it comes to safety.

Spearfishing Guidelines

Spearfishing is a technique that requires much time to fully comprehend, but doing as such will be highly beneficial. If you try to employ the steps underneath, you are guaranteed to enjoy your next spearfishing trip.

Step one: Begin with shallow water method of spearfishing. To get settled with spearfishing, begin in shallow water and fish over the water line. This process does not need total submersion of the body.

Step two: Go free dive spearfishing technique. Free dive technique of spearfishing is an underwater strategy for that requires a breathing gear.

To accomplish awesome diving strategy, inhale profoundly, curve your back like you want to dive into a swimming pool, and after that, enter the water with your head first and with your fins up in the air enabling your weight to pull you towards the base.

After the above process, quietly move through the water to check out the sea life and find your desired fish.

Step three: Follow safety rules. Spearfishing presents a greater number of difficulties than the standard line and rod angling since you are inside the ocean as a predator chasing prey. Some of the risks include sharks, fishermen i.e. people angling with a line and rod.

It also includes those spearfishers who may confuse you for prey or coincidentally use a spear to hit you.  Do good to have an accomplice when spearfishing in order to safeguard one another, particularly if you are in a deep dive spearfishing.

Step four: Target your desired fish. When utilizing a pole spear, draw out your arm halfway in order to have sufficient space to extend your range at the last snapshot of attack.

Once you are certain that the fish is within the scope of the completely discharged spear, broaden your arm and discharge the lance in one smooth development, going for the leader of the fish.

If you are utilizing a speargun while deep dive or shallow water spearfishing, you don’t need to extend your arm to discharge a spear, just discharge the security and aim the speargun at your prey.

Step five: Hit your prey with the spear. Target the base of the skull, the point at which the spine connects since it promptly kills the fish and avoids sufferings.  After hitting, hold either the fish or the distending spear point to control the fluttering fish.

Step six: Hook the fish. After you have speared your prey, you can now hook it to the fish carrier or if you plan to keep spearfishing, you can place it in an assigned area.

Putting on gloves will keep you from hurting your hands when handling fish that has sharp spines. Keep in mind that the blood from the already speared fish may attract other sea life.

To learn more about spearfishing tips and techniques, you can check out the video below:  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tYUeewfSG3k

Spearfishing Gear

For safe spearfishing, you need to pick the right gear and we have already compiled a list of some of the basic gears required for spearfishing. Below is the list of spearfishing gears:

  1. The mask
  2. The snorkel
  3. Weight belt
  4. The stringer
  5. The fins
  6. Spear
  7. Spearguns

For a successful spearfishing trip, the above-listed tools are really important. To know more about some other good spearfishing gears, you can check out the video below:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o23ty21wX-w

Conclusion

We believe you will really get a lot of intriguing information in this content, which will likewise be interesting and important for expert spearfishers.

One of the fascinating things about spearfishing is that you will never get to know everything about it! It is believed that this Spearfishing guideline will at least widen the chance to succeed early and that you will go ahead to enjoy the spearfishing activity for a long time to come.

Author Bio:

I’m Lisa. I have a strong understanding and passion for all things related to fishing. When  I am not out wetting a line, I am sharing a range of tips and tricks on Fall For Fishing  – to help others to snag their big catch!

Why Should You Learn Bow Hunting for Survival?

/ jlm990 / 6 Comments

(This is a guest article by Brandon Cox)

Learning survival skills isn’t everyone’s plans as most people rarely plan to become survivals one day. What if the worst happens and you have to hunt for food to survive? Chances are you’re not one of those many people if you’re reading this post. As a modern-day prepper, the idea of bow hunting might not sound ideal but remembers bullets eventually do disappear. You need to learn stealth to survive.

These are the times when you realize a bow is your best option. Tracking your target with the focus on stealth hunting is one of the best skills any prepper can learn. Learning how to use a bow and arrow for hunting is an art of the highest kind that might one day be the only option you’ve got.

When stuck in the wilderness, nothing beats what a bow and arrow can do for you. There is always a reason to learn bow hunting for survival especially if you’re a fan of primitive hunting skills.

For those that think bow hunting has no place in the modern world, here are six why you should learn bow hunting for survival.

Highly Portable

Ordinary take down bows weigh just a few pounds making them extremely portable. The last thing you would wish for when in a survival situation is a weapon that weighs you down. Bows consist of only three pieces; the two limbs and a mid-grip section. You just need to twist a few lug screws, and you’re ready to aim. The portability of the bow along with the arrow arrangement means you can easily pack the bow and some arrows in your bug out bag with ease.

Bows and strings are multi-purpose

The bow is a multi-purpose weapon that can be used to achieve several other functions. You can all agree with me that it feels great to have a weapon that can be used to serve several other purposes. Pieces of the takedown bow arrow kit can be used different functions.

One of the parts you can use for example is the string. The string is usually 4-6 feet and sturdy. It can be used as a trot-line for fishing and a cordage for building shelter. The string can also be used in traps, making a snare and even starting fire via a bow drill. Go ahead and improvise anything that helps you from the string as a long as you don’t damage it.

Also, the arrows can be used as a spear for hunting small game and fish. There is just a lot you can do with your bow and arrows apart from hunting.

Observe a low sonic profile

This is probably one of the compelling reasons to start learning bow hunting for survival. A bow and an arrow make up a silent weapon. Who knows, there will come a day when you will need a deadly but silent weapon. Consider a situation where you have to maintain a low sonic profile and to bug out isn’t an option. Archery will turn out to be your only survival option.

A bow and arrow are wise ideas, especially when hunting in an area with a lot of competition. Bow hunting for survival guarantees you stealth takedown. You also get to return to your camp safely without drawing any unnecessary attention.

Bow hunting as a plan B

Any prepper can agree with me that the key long-term survival and emergency preparedness is having a plan B. While guns have taken center stage over the past few years, they can run out of ammunition. In such scenarios, your only plan B is a bow. This is further supported by the fact that a bow is quite light and can be packed together with the arrows in your bug out bag with easy. There even places around the globe where you can’t use a gun freely. Such places require you to have a bow and some arrows with you.

Regulations and legal laws regarding the use of bows and arrows are also more lenient compared to guns. There is no cumbersome paperwork required for people to own bows and arrows as with pellets and guns.

Precision long-range damage

There is no better weapon as a bow and an arrow when in a long-range situation. This simply means you don’t need to get too close to your target to kill it. With good practice, you can shoot targets from as far as 50-100 yards and hit them accurately. This is not something that you can do with spears.

Bow hunting is a fun DIY project

This is another great idea to learn bow hunting.  Most preppers will tell you they just need a few materials to make a good bow and arrows. This cannot be said of other weapons in a real survival situation. A few straight sticks can make an arrow while a hardwood can make the bow itself. Use stone chips to make the broadheads. It is fun making the bow and arrows. If you have a glass bottle with you, then you can break it and make broadheads. The string is the only challenging thing to find, but plants like vines can give you strong strings. You can even use threads from your clothes.

Final Verdict

Now you know why you need to learn bow hunting right away. With a bow and some arrows, you can not only hunt down a prey but also defend yourself. When we talk about bow hunting for survival, it is not just how you can use the bow to kill a prey; it is how you can employ a bow and an arrow in a survival situation.

Author Bio:

Brandon Cox is the founder of StayHunting, who is passionate about all things of hunting and fitness. Through his hunting website, he would like to share tips & tricks, finest tech that will excite all of the intricacies of hunting whether you be an amateur or a professional.

 

Valley Food Storage Dehydrated Peanut Powder.

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For those wishing to stockpile foods for long-term storage, there are a number of options. There are many companies that specialize in dehydrated foods, and the best advice you can get is to decide what you are going to need, and sample a variety from different companies. And there are a large choice of food types and menus.

Valley Food Storage is one of the major players in the industry. I tested their white bean and lime chili and found it really good. So when I was given another choice of item to test, I decided on the peanut powder. My main interest is in lightweight and easily stored items that would be functional and nutritional either bugging in or out. Peanut butter is a popular staple with survivalists for a number of reasons which I described here where I wrote about the real deal.

Peanut powder is made by compressing peanuts to remove the oil and fats, and then grinding them into powder. This provides a lightweight substitute for the much heavier actual peanut butter. So how does it stack up against the real thing on the two issues I see as most important: Nutrition and taste.

Nutrition

The table below is the label off the Valley Food Storage package. One serving consists of two tablespoons. One serving will contain 7g of protein, 70 calories, and 4g of total fat.

This is the label off of a regular jar of Jif creamy peanut butter. It also has 7 g of protein, but has 180 calories, and 16 grams of total fat

The peanut powder has and equal amount of protein, but a lot fewer calories, fat and sodium. But you are also talking a lot less weight for the amount of protein.

Taste Test

Easy to mix, it is 1 for 1 water and powder. I mixed two tablespoons of powder with two tablespoons of water. It mixed easily and rapidly. It wasn’t as thick as regular peanut butter. It tasted good, but needs a bit of sugar for my taste. Easily done in the field with small sugar packets.  It is advertised as good to mix in things like yogurt or cereal, or juice. OK in a bug in situation, but maybe not so practical on the move.  It would make a lightweight protein additive for such things as crackers, etc. It would also lighten up the blandness of survival food.

Conclusion

Lightweight and tasty protein supplement for a survival situation, but it has the same water dependent drawback that all dehydrated food stuffs have. I have placed one bag in my food stash and will let the wife enjoy the other in her breakfast yogurt.

Available from Valley Food Storage

Are You Neglecting Your Preps? Now Is Not The Time!

/ jlm990 / 11 Comments

DSC_0393_zpsk611tjedWe live in interesting times. And I see the Prepper Community reflecting that. Up until the early morning hours on November 9th many people increased their prepper activities at a fast pace expecting Killary Clinton to become the 45th President of the United States. Myself included. That consisted of expending funds to buy items that I was concerned would be soon unavailable under a Clinton socialist regime. Across the country guns, especially AR’s were flying off dealer’s shelves (at least where I live).

On the morning of November 9th, you could hear a collective sigh of relief from across the country.  And especially in the Prepper Community. But many of us warned against that. I stated my case in Trump Won. So It’s O.K. Now, Right?

Those warnings have proven to be true. Even with a President who supports the Second Amendment, and will put decent judges on our Supreme Court, we still have a long way to go. And activist liberal judges still attack the Second amendment. This country did not get to the brink of disaster over night, and we are not going to be able to reverse directions overnight. President Trump cannot fix everything overnight with the stroke of a pen. I think he will begin to try to point us back in the right direction, but he isn’t God, and he is facing the most serious resistance of any President in my lifetime.  And the threats, man-made and natural, that we prep to survive, are pressing us even harder. Experienced preppers will tell you to constantly evaluate and modify you plan as situations change or develop. So what has changed significantly since the election of President Trump that would affect your level of preps? A LOT!

Domestic Violence

untitledThe street violence that erupted after the election will continue. These are not spontaneous protests against an unpopular election. These are well and organized riots. And the level of violence will escalate. The ANTI FAS, BLM, and other radical leftist movements are calling for armed resistance and violence. Police Officers have been increasingly murdered around the country in ambush. Many of us warned that the radical left is desperate and will not simply give up, and will resort to anything to reverse the election.  Unless the government is able to control these people, as the level of violence increase, people on the other side are going to take to the streets and meet violence with violence.  Our courts have currently ruled that we have to continue to take in thousands of “refugees”  from terrorists parts of the world.

Economic Collapse

I personally think that this is still a serious possibility. Barrack Obama ran up our national debt to about 19 TRILLION dollars. We are a serious debtor nation right now,Pylon_ds creative commons Even if the President was to get perfect cooperation (and he isn’t) this is going to be difficult to deal with and will take a long time. We have a ravaged military to rebuild, and a national infrastructure that borders on disaster. Our national electrical grid system is seriously weak and vulnerable. All of these things are not going to get fixed overnight. An EMP incident, either man -made attack, or from the sun, will shut the economy, and life as we know it, down for a seriously long time. A cyber attack on our electric grid is both possible, and evidently planned for by many of our major enemies.

Natural Disasters

Regardless of the reasons, natural disasters are continuing and actually increasing in both frequency and severity. Much of our infrastructure is outdated, out of repair, and failing. One need only look at the recent problems with Oroville Dam in California. 188,000 people had to be evacuated when it looked as if the dam would give way. I wonder how many of them had a three day bug out bag ready? Tornados, hurricanes, severe snow storms, all continue to happen with increasing severity.

Folks, regardless of the election, and in many ways because of it, we face some of the most dangerous times in our nation’s history. Now is not the time to be complacent in our emergency preparations.

 

Survival Hax Survival Shovel

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survival_shovel_1_1024x1024One of the fun things about doing a survival blog is that manufacturers and dealers will often send you one of their items to test. I have some definite policies on this. I do not accept money for the review. I get to keep the item. And I will only write an honest evaluation. When Sara of SurvivalHax offered to send me one of their survival shovels I was glad to test it.

Before I discuss the shovel, let’s define what a survival shovel is. For my purposes, it should be lightweight and small enough to fit in a bug out bag. It should be sturdy enough to perform some basic functions. These would include digging a cat hole, digging a fire pit, digging a water run off trench around your shelter, driving tent stakes, and shoveling snow or sand from around a stuck vehicle tires. If you are planning on doing more heavy-duty digging, then you will need a larger tool. The SurvivalHax survival shovel will perform it’s intended functions very well.

This little shovel is basic military style with a folding spade and pick. This design was initiated by the Germans in WW2 and quickly copied by the United States and many other countries. The shovel has a two piece hollow handle which screws together and the end survival_shovel_6_1024x1024cap unscrews and has a ferro rod fire starter. Both handles are hollow. It also comes with a carrying case, as well as a lifetime warranty. When the shovel is unfolded it is 24 inches (2 feet) long. Its collapsible size is 8.6 x 8.2 inches. The head of the shovel is made out of manganese steel with a rigidity rating of 42-46. The handle is made out of steel as well, while the orange adjustment nut is aluminum alloy. It weighs in at about 2 pounds.

The blade is serrated on one side like many other shovels of this size. And like most of it’s counterparts, the serrated edges as well as the blade edge need to be sharpened with a file. This is not a criticism.   A few minutes with a file and the serrations and flat edge are nice and sharp. Again, most shovels of this type need to be sharpened. The three rivets that hold the blade to the mount seem solid. At 2 lbs. weight, it is solid enough to pound tent stakes in soft to moderately hard soil. I took the shovel out back and used both the pick and the blade to dig  around a bit. The soil here is gravely on top, sandy under. Both the pick and blade worked well and the locking nut stayed tight. There were no dings or bends to the blade.

survival-hax-shovel-dissassembledThe handle is a two piece hollow affair that screws together. The threads for both the handle and the end cap are cut clean and screw together with no problems. I recommend lubricating the threads lightly.   The black finish is smooth, actually slick. I solved this problem by wrapping the handle in paracord.

This not only adds no real weight, but gives a more solid grip on the handle as well as providing additional paracord for my kit. As the end cap is a ferro rod fire starter, I decided to use the hollow space to enhance  fire making capability. I took 5 Vaseline impregnated cotton balls and wrapped them in a plastic bag. I attached a piece of paracord to one end and a military p-38 can opener to the other. It works like a pull through with the p-38 being the weight that allows the sack to be pulled into or out of the tube. In addition, I have found a p-38 to be an excellent striker to use on a rod. I tested it on the rod that came with the shovel and got good sparks. I haven’t decided what to use the space in the upper handle for yet. Perhaps kindling.

The carrying case is adequate to store the two pieces nicely in a rucksack, but only has one belt loop and would probably not be too durable for long-term wear on a belt. If you wish to carry it that way, a very inexpensive military surplus e-tool holder can easily be found.survival_shovel_7_1024x1024

Summary

The SurvivalHax Survival Shovel is a well made, lightweight shovel of a proven design that is small enough to fit in a bug out bag, or under a vehicle seat and comes with a lifetime warranty. The hollow handles give you the option of storing additional items of your choice, which most other shovels of this type do not have. Mine is now in my get home bag in my jeep. Available on Amazon or SurvivalHax

Trump Won So It’s OK Now. Right?

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donald_trump_by_gage_skidmore_12Not just yet folks. Not just yet. Like many preppers and patriots I fell into the trap of believing the news media polls that Donald Trump was behind, and even though a close election, Killary Clinton was going to be our next President. I went to bed early Nov. 8th, expecting to wake up to just that. And like many, I was in total shock (and joy) to find out that Donald J. Trump was going to be the 45th President of the United States. And all that it is going to mean for not only the United States but Western Culture as well.  With Trump as President we are going to have a Supreme Court that is going to slowly return us back to Constitutional values. Pro 2nd Ammendment laws and policies will be implemented. We are going to start implementing intelligent economic policies. And American social policies. Our religious freedoms will be restored. The list of benefits is endless.

But it hasn’t happened just yet!

You see, the winners of this election, you and me, weren’t the only ones in shock. Killary was supposed to have it sowed up. The news media said so, therefore it must be true. Obama would have a third term to solidify his legacy. And his real legacy, which he had always intended, was the total destruction of American society and to have it re-built in the socialist progressive mold.  They are mad as hell. They are shocked. They are desperate! All of George Soros’ money, even with the collusion of the mainstream media, couldn’t  buy this election. The American people repudiated Barack Obama and his socialist agenda. As I stated in my article This Election As a SHTF Scenario, whichever way the election went, we were subject to be living in dangerous times. And Donald Trump doesn’t get sworn in until January 20th. A lot can happen between now and then.

The radical left has spent 50 years slowly chipping away at the fabric of the American constitutional republic. And they just saw all their efforts potentially go up in smoke in one election. And they are not going to stand still for it.

You Need To Stay Even More Vigilant Now and Continue Your Preps

It is well documented now that the ongoing riots in major cities are being conducted by people being paid for it. This is not a grass roots objection to Trump’s election. This is deliberately organized violence. And it is also happening in colleges and even high school students are walking out of class and demonstrating. These things are being  planned, organized, and paid for. And I think it will continue for a while until after the inauguration.

Notice Trump’s Conciliatory Demeanor

A lot of people are wondering about that. I will tell you what I think. I think he is aware that we are all walking on a tight rope right now, and he has to play it cool until Jan. 20th. I have never been partial to conspiracy theories. I tend to be down to earth and pragmatic. But I have seen a lot improbabilities happen recently. And I think it is possible that a lot of improbable things could still happen before Jan. 20th. In my lifetime I have seen one Presidnet assasinated and one wounded in an assasination attempt.

So I advise all of you to stay alert, do not get complacent and remain vigilant until our new President actually takes the reins of government in his hands and sorts some bastards out.

Because the people who are bent on our destruction are not going to lay down and quit!

 

 

An Open Letter to President Elect Donald J. Trump

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trump-top_20161109_090434Dear Mr. Trump,

Well, I went to bed last night thinking I was going to wake up to Killary being our president, and the horror show that would entail. I woke up this morning to find that the Trump Train choo-chooed accross the country. Congratulations Sir!

Now, Donald, the American people voted you into office because of the promisses you made. And we expect you to keep those promisses. Build the wall and make Mexico pay for it. Deport the illegals, Stop the Haji invasion of our country. Get rid of this abortion called Obama Care. Nominate Supreme Court Justices who have actually read the Constitution and understand what it means. Restore our Second Ammendment rights in places they are being abused.  Rebuild our economy. LOCK HER UP!!!!!!!!!

We don’t expect you to get it all done overnight. But we expect you to make serious progress right off the bat. If you do what you promissed, your name can be listed in the history books next to Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln.

But if you have lied to us, or start doing the typical politician tap dance “compromise” we will toss your butt out. You actually have the opportunity to make America great again. Don’t blow it.

Sincerly,

Johnnie L. Mock

How To Prepare Your Homestead or Property To Protect You During SHTF Situations

/ jlm990 / 4 Comments

mummonmokkiSurvival is a job that modern civilization makes very easy. Do you have plans to keep on doing it when the support structure you rely on falls away? Survivalists call this the “Sh#t Hits The Fan” or SHTF scenario. It means making your household safe and self-supporting for an indefinite amount of time. Here are some important general strategies for getting your property or homestead ready for such a situation.

Always Have A Bug-Out Plan

To start with, you need to consider a fundamental question of survival strategy: Hunker down or bug out? Do you stand firm on your existing property and make it self-sufficient and secure, or do you flee to a less dangerous place? There is plenty of helpful advice for pursuing both strategies and a healthy SHTF plan may well combine the two – bugging out of your day-to-day home to settle on a prepared rural property, for example.

Bugging out Regardless of what you plan for, put emergency plans and supplies in place to make retreating an option at any time. Bug-out bags aren’t just for escaping a city that’s become too dangerous to live in. You should have one prepared at all times so that you can get mobile without placing yourself in any more danger than is absolutely necessary. Plan redundant lines of retreat. The further down the list you get, the less preparation and research you’re going to be able to do, but that’s alright. Even a plan as simple as, “grab this backpack and head north” is preferable to being stuck in a dangerous place without options.

Balance Convenience Against Visibility

 Most survivalists who are seriously considering SHTF scenarios aren’t thinking about short-term interruptions of emergency services and the rule of law. They’re planning for an indefinite time frame where every instance of human contact is likely to be a risk. This is why you need to consider how visible your occupation of your survival property is going to be. Taking steps to conceal your presence can save you a lot of trouble.

In rural survival scenarios, for instance, being close to a reliable source of water is a huge convenience. It makes gardening, cooking and cleaning much easier for you. It also makes your property much more??????????????????????????????? attractive and tempting to outsiders. Strike a balance between concealment and convenience when you pick out your property and start making survival plans.

 Practice Vital Skills In Advance

 Keeping yourself and your loved ones safe in an SHTF scenario requires good timing and fast, efficient work. These qualities are tough to achieve if all of your survival skills are based on something your read months or years ago and then forgot. Organize your day-to-day activities so that your ordinary mode of life gives you opportunities to practice survival skills.

Start a garden in your backyard or join a community garden if you live in an urban area to keep your 110701_BURKARD_50075thumbs green. Get out into the wilderness regularly to camp and be sure to camp a little rougher thanbill_stagg_turning_up_his_beans_pie_town_new_mexico__he_will_next_pile_them_for_curing_loc pulling your RV up to a campground with plumbing and wi-fi. If your SHTF plans include defending yourself with lethal force and they probably should, make sure you put in plenty of practice hours at your local gun range. All the plans in the world won’t Front Sight 5help you if you don’t have the skills to execute them.

 Detailed planning for an SHTF scenario is going to depend heavily on the type of property you have to work with, the skills your household brings to the table, and even the general climate conditions in your region. Regardless of the details, you should not lose sight of these basic principles. They will serve you in good stead in virtually any survival situation.

About the author

William Sheridan is a successful businessman and operates the site, Best Home Security which provides answers and solutions for all your home security needs. Visit today to discover on-topic and useful information that can help keep your family safe.

Notes on Keeping Your AR Running

/ jlm990 / 6 Comments

m-4-soldierThe world is rapidly changing and smart preppers pay attention and try to adapt to the changes. In regards to firearms and ammunition, there is a very real possibility that we will elect a President who is an avowed enemy of the 2nd Amendment. I have discussed the ramifications of this in my article This Election as a SHTF Scenario. Many concerned citizens are continuing to purchase firearms for the hard times they feel are ahead. And many of them are selecting AR style rifles for their personal defense and as part of their preps. I discussed one I recently bought here. And a lot of these folks are not military veterans who have had the luxury of marrying the “Little Black Rifle” in the past. This article is for the new  owner of an AR, or someone with not a whole lot of experience in running or maintaining it.

First, if you are a new AR owner, you need to learn to disassembly your rifle properly. ( I use the term AR to describe the AR-15, M-16, M-4 series of rifles, both military and civilian versions). I’m not going to cover that here. There are a lot of excellent references on the AR system. If nothing else, get a copy of the military armorer’s41fdjvw3mrl__sx387_bo1204203200_ manual or any of the commercial manuals on it

Understanding the Operating System

directm16The AR uses a direct impingement gas system. This means that there is no piston, rather the gas is bled off the barrel and impinges directly on the bolt through the bolt key. This is why cleaning certain areas is critical to keep it running and has an effect on ammunition selection as well. I will discuss ammo in a future article. Here are some of the special cleaning and inspection considerations with the AR series rifles.

Cleaning and Inspecting

Barrel:  The barrel is cleaned like any other rifle from the chamber end using a bore brush,solvent and correct size patches.. But special attention must be given to the chamber due to the design of the locking lugs. A special chamber cleaning brush ischamber-brush needed to properly clean the chamber and the locking lug recesses. This is a critical area of this rifle and causes the lion’s share of malfunctions when excessively dirty! The brush will clean not only the chamber but the locking lug recesses as well. Use Q-tips and pipe cleaners to clean the recesses. There are also special patches and wipe mops designed for this that you can find online.

Bolt Carrier: There are some areas on this that you need to pay special attention to. bolt-2_2The gas key on top of the bolt carrier is particularly important. First, inspect the screws on top and ensure they are tight. Insure the stakes are good so the screws will not move. You should be able to grasp the key with one hand and the bolt carrier with the other and there should be no movement. The key needs to be solid on the carrier or you will have problems with it dragging on the gas tube which enters the mouth of the key. Clean the inside of the tube on the gas key with a pipe cleaner and solvent. A totally worn out .223 chamber brush can also be used. Insure you totally dry it so that there is no solvent or oil in the tube. This is where the gas impinges on the bolt and any solvent or oil will be turned to hard carbon immediately. Inspect the mouth of the hole in the key. See if it is pinged or split. If so, it means the key is striking on and dragging against the gas tube that enters the receiver. Take the stripped bolt carrier and replace it in the receiver and run it back and forth to see if it is dragging on the tube. If it drags, you are going to have to very carefully adjust the angle of the gas tube with a screw driver and bend it so it does not drag. I spent a year and a half rebuilding M-16s for the Army in a Depot level facility, and had to do this often. Care in cleaning the upper receiver and not bending the gas tube to begin with is important.

Bolt: The are a couple things on the bolt you need to pay close attention to. Make sure to clean all the carbon and brass particles from the bolt face, and especially ar-15-boltunder the extractor claw with a tooth brush and pipe cleaners. It isn’t necessary to take the extractor off each time, but if you do, insure you do not lose the pin and the small plastic piece that fits in the spring. Insure you clean the recesses between the locking lugs well. There are three gas rings at the rear of the bolt. Each has a space in it. Insure that these three spaces are not aligned. On the back side of the rings the bolt shaft carbons up heavily. Let it soak in solvent for awhile and scrub the carbon off with a brass brush.

Upper Receiver: The main thing here is to clean well around the gas tube but insure you do not bend it. A cleaning rag for most of it and Q-tips and pipe cleaners around the gas tube will get the job done. Do not get lubrication or solvent in the gas tube.

Lower receiver: Ease the hammer forward and clean the lower receiver with Q-tips and solvent. Lubricate the top of the hammer where the bolt carrier rides over it.

 Other things to inspect: Insure both take down pins are solid. You should be able to push them out with your fingers or a cartridge tip, but it shouldn’t be too easy. Check the flash suppressor on the muzzle and ensure it is not loose. The firing pin tip should be nicely rounded without sharp edges.

Spare Parts

Considering the political climate, having spare parts on hand would be a good idea.  Firing pin, extractor and extractor spring would be a couple of good ones. But there is one part that you absolutely need to have a couple extra of. The firing pin retaining pin

Otis Cleaning Kit

Otis Cleaning Kit

is basically a 3 cent cotter key, without which, you bolt will not function.firing-pin-retaining-pin And they are very easy to loose when cleaning your weapon in a field environment. Keep at least one spare in your field cleaning kit. For more information on cleaning kits, please see my article Weapons Cleaning Kits for the Bug Out Bag.

Lubrication

This is a seriously critical issue with AR style rifles, and is one area that AK’s are better in. You need to properly lubricate your AR to keep it running. There is an ongoing controversy about shooting steel case ammunition in AR’s which I addressed in The Truth About Steel Cased ammunition.  I have seen a pretty fair number of AR’s actually lock up using steel cased ammo and in EVERY instance they were pretty dirty71c-nbsrysl__sl1500_ and bone dry! There are a lot of really good lubes on the market, but if you are a new AR owner you can’t go wrong with Break Free CLP. You can use it as a cleaner, lubricant and preservative.

 Important Lubrication Points On The Bolt Carrier Group

Lube the entire bolt head including the gas rings. Lubricate the locking lugs, and place a couple drops of oil in the two holes in the side of the bolt carrier. Lube the rails on the bolt carrier that ride in the recesses inside the upper receiver.

bolt-1

Lubricate the cam pin and the bearing surfaces it cams on inside the bolt carrier.

bolt-2

If you are a new AR owner, keeping your AR properly cleaned and properly lubricated, will insure it  serves you well in the difficult situations you probably bought it for. As I write this, AR’s are flying off the dealer shelves.

These are just a few hints on keeping the AR running and many experienced AR shooters will probably have more to add so feel free to comment. In future articles I will discuss magazines and ammunition.

This Election As A SHTF Scenario

/ jlm990 / 8 Comments

6080137063_71b986b12f_bIf your reading this blog, odds are, you are already aware of how serious this election in November is. Those of you who have been in the prepping community for some time are already taking prudent steps. I believe that the future of this nation is grim, regardless of who gets elected. I do not think Trump will really be able to slow the locomotive down that is rapidly taking us to the brink. It has been too bad for too long but at least with him, one can hope. And if Killary is elected, she will push the throttle to the wall. This nation is more seriously divided now than we have been since the Civil War. And emotions of the serious people on both sides are just as high. The vast majority of the Sheeple really haven’t a clue, although I do sense that a lot of people are starting to wake up.

If Trump wins, the radical left is not going to just lay down and disappear. You can expect to see serious increases in violence from BLM and other radical groups. You canCivil unrest expect to see an increase in radical Muslim terrorist activity. If Killary wins, do not expect the majority of the Republican gutless cowards to try to prevent her from shredding the last vestiges of the Constitution, even if they retain control of the House and Senate. They couldn’t even control Obama. But there are a number of armed Patriots who are just going to say NO! And that could get serious quickly. 2017 is going to be a seriously dangerous year, no matter who wins. And those of you who care enough to survive, are going to have to make some serious decisions based on your individual situation.

But what if you are a guy or gal new to prepping or are just waking up? January isn’t that far off.  So how do you achieve some semblance of preparedness in time?

Educate Yourself Now!

There are a lot of good prepping blogs on the net and a lot of armchair expert idiots. You have to do your own sorting. I have a series of articles that will help you get started if you are just beginning.

_WAAC_-_SILENCE_MEANS_SECURITY__-_NARA_-_515987_tifYou especially need to pay attention to your OPSEC. And learn to be the Grey ManInvisible

Regardless of what stage you are in your preps, the election may cause you to change your plan, especially in regards to equipment and supplies and your schedule of accumulation. I am specifically talking about firearms and ammunition. If Killary wins, there is going to be a mass rush of people buying all of the weapons and ammo they can get with the accompanying shortages as we have seen before. But much worse. m&P 2She is going to use the executive order to control the availability of firearms and ammunition.  She will use BATF to rule and regulate firearms dealers out of business at any cost. Expect to see the mail order sale of ammunition prohibited at the federal level.

If you feel that you have a good basic battery of defensive weapons, Hornady critical_defenseI think you should seriously consider moving ammunition up to the top of your budget bucket list while it is still available. This is just my suggestion and each person and family will have to set their own priorities. Freeze dried food and camping equipment are probably not going to be regulated, at least not any time soon.  But I honestly feel that ammunition is subject to become a scarce commodity after the first of the year, either by runs on stores by concerned citizens, or dictatorial edict by Queen Killary. Just my opinion. As always, do your research, think, and form your own opinion.

CrusaderThen survive whatever comes!

 

Smith And Wesson M & P15 Sport II

/ jlm990 / 13 Comments

m&P 2Most of my readers know that I tend to favor the AK system over the AR system for a number of reasons. I describe them here. But for a while I have decided to add an AR platform rifle to my battery. First, in about nine months I plan on increasing my small arms classes for those who carry an AR as their primary rifle. Secondly, with the election coming up and the possibility of Killary being elected, I decided now was the time to get an AR .

As I advise my readers. I did my research. When looking for a firearm for serious social work, quality has to be your first consideration. Then price. There are a lot of high quality AR system rifles on the market. And many of them have prices that reflect it. But after careful consideration of quality, features and price, I settled on the Smith and Wesson M&P-15-II . MSRP is $739.00 from Smith and I was able to get mine for $690.00. If you shop around, you can often find them in this range. I consider it a good bargain.

Right out of the box I was impressed with fit and finish. There is very little play between the upper and lower receivers. The bolt parts are tight and well finished. This is the Second Gen version that has the standard spring-loaded ejection port cover and the forward assist. Except for barrel length and only semi-auto, this rifle is basically the military M-4. However, the trigger guard is one piece and not the military style that folds down for arctic gloves.

MP-15-II

Basic Technical Stats

  • Caliber: 5.56 mm NATO (which means the chamber will also seat .223 Remington)
  • Action: Gas Operated Semi Auto
  • Capacity: 30+1 Rounds
  • Barrel Length: 16” (40.64 cm)
  • Front Sight: Adj. A2 Post
  • Rear Sight: Folding Magpul® MBUS®
  • Overall Length: 35.0” (88.90 cm) Extended, 32.0” (81.28 cm) Collapsed
  • Grip: Polymer
  • Weight: 6.45 lbs. (2,925.7 g)
  • Barrel Material: 4140 Steel
  • Upper Material: 7075 T6
  • Lower Material: Aluminum
  • Finish: Matte Black
  • Forged, Integral Trigger Guard
  • Armornite® Finish (Durable Corrosion Resistant Finish)
  • Chromed Firing Pin.
  • Rifling: 1/9, 6 groove
  • Picatinny rail forward of the rear sight for mounting accessories.

Magazines, Sights and Sling

GetImageThe rifle comes with one Magpul Gen 2 P-mag. I ordered four more from Gabe Suarez’s One Source Tactical. This magazine is a highly tested and reliable mag used by military units around the world. There is now a Gen 3 version but I have not tested it.

The front sight is the standard A-2 sight with square post, and even has the bayonet lug at the bottom. Since federal regs require a rifle barrel be at least 16″ the barrel is too long to effectively attach a bayonet. The rear sight isGetImage3 a folding Magpul® MBUS®. This is a spring-loaded flip-up sight with two apertures. The smaller aperture is for fine shooting and the larger is for CQB applications. The rear sight is windage adjustable only as elevation adjustments are done on the front sight. ( Please note that the sights that came with my rifle are black and not green as pictured. These photos are from the Magpul site and the sight comes in various colors)

WINDAGE ADJUSTMENT3

  • ~0.7 MOA (0.754″/100m) per click with a 14.5″ sight radius
  • ~0.5 MOA (0.547″/100m) per click with a 20″ sight radius

I decided to fit the rifle with a simple military black strap sling. I have never liked tactical slings. Tried a number of them in Afghanistan and always went back to a simple strap sling. To each his own.

Range and Zeroing

I took the rifle to Joe Foss Range in Buckeye Arizona where I do most of my training classes. The M&P15-II comes with a 1:9 twist barrel. This is a good compromise to allow for the stabilization of both the M-193 55gr. bullet and the M-885 62gr. bullet. I decided to zero the rife with the M-193 round to begin with. I was using Federal M-193 military production from the Lake City Arsenal. The cases had LC 2013 and the NATO stamp on the cartridge base. I set up a military zero target at 25yds and began zeroing from the bench. I started out with sights as they came from the factory. AllIMG_0321 zero groups were three shot groups using the small sight aperture . The first group was way low right. I made a sight adjust ment and was then a bit high left. I then went to the second target (pictured) first group slightly right, and the second in the center. After getting a 25yd zero, I then moved the target out to 50yds and did three shot  drills on a silhouette target. The rifle grouped nicely in the center chest area.  I then moved it out to 100yds and did three shot timed fire drills from the bench. The group was nice and tight in the throat area. I brought the front sight down a bit so I was hitting a bit high in the chest area. I wanted a good 100yd zero, as this is the maximum range I would probably use this rifle at most of the time. I then moved the target back to 50yds and did Mozambique drills ( two to the chest, one to the head) from the standing ready position using the larger CQB aperture for the remainder of the ammunition. All chest shots were centered and all head shots were also, with no flyers. This is one accurate little rifle! I fired a total of 120 rounds out of four brand new magazines with no malfunctions. My next range foray I will try it with M-885 ball and see what zero and accuracy changes might ensue.

Summation

This is an accurate, reliable, well made and reasonably priced AR rifle. I am really impressed with it. I plan on working out with it a lot more and if accuracy and reliability remain constant, it may just end up being my primary go to rifle. If you are looking to get an AR before the election, the S&W M&P Sport II would be a good choice.

Documentation To Take If Bugging Out

/ jlm990 / 1 Comment

1912_Birth_Certificate_Ken_BakerOften times when we think of bugging out we consider a number of tangible things: Vehicle to use, equipment, food, water, and defensive weaponry to have readily available for a quick move out are just some of the things to consider.The bug out bag itself is the center piece of much of the conversation in regards to prepping and survival. When planning on bugging out, there are a wide range of scenarios you need to consider. Is this a short-term trip to avoid a oncoming natural hazard, and you plan to return home eventually? Or is it a total societal breakdown? Or any of the hundreds of possible scenarios in between?

Many people who prepare to evacuate their home in any number of scenarios often fail to seriously consider one of the undeniable truths about bugging out depending on the severity of the crisis. You may not ever be able to go back to your home. And if you are able to eventually return, it is probable that all of your possessions will be gone, the home possibly destroyed, or even someone else now living there. So the next issue to consider is the distinct possibility of having to start your life completely over either at your old home or elsewhere. This is going to require important documents on your part.  Lets take a look at the two ways to carry documentation, paper and digital, and the types of documents you may want to consider. Remember, you are prepping for any number of situations, not just TEOTWAWKI. You should carry copies of important documents with you even when you go on vacation. You should also have a set in a bank safe deposit box. Remember redundancy? What happens if your house burns down when you are gone?

BF-AB155_02docJ_E_20110701215220Paper

Paper documents have the primary advantage of being readily accessible should you need them. Unless you are carrying a computer and printer in your bug out kit, you should have paper copies of your most important documents. And you need to keep them in a waterproof container of some sort. Keep in mind that paper can get heavy. You should limit your paper documents to just the bare essentials. But here are some recommendations of what you will probably need hard copy of:

  • Us-passportTwo forms of I.D. for each adult in the family. Preferably picture I.D.
  • Passport will work as one of the above. If you do not have one, get one. Even if you do not plan to travel.
  • Social Security cards.
  • Birth certificates (certified) for each family member.
  • Copies of all insurance policies( auto, life, guns, etc.)
  • Marriage Certificates( certified)
  • All property deeds.
  • Immunization records, if not complete medical records for each member of the family.
  • Vehicle registration documents, and title if they are clear.
  • Any unique documents that effect your identity: DD-214, adoption papers etc.
  • Bank records with all account numbers.
  • Prescriptions, both medical and eye glass.

Digital

As well as the hard copies above, you should have digital copies of them and any other documentation you may want to re construct ( family fotos, business records., etc.). You can place them on an encryption disk. Granted, you won’t be able to use them until you have access to a computer, but they are small, light, can hold much more information than you want to carry hard copy, and be safely encrypted. You can getSandisk Cruiser_ this ScanDisk Cruiser Fit  with built-in software very inexpensively.

Kindle Paperwhite_Another digital answer is a small tablet such as the Kindle Paperwhite. The advantage of this system is that not only can you store readable versions of your documents, but you can also store a large number of digital reference books such as survival books, weapons manuals, etc.

Every individual and family has a different situation and different needs. But to determine what documentation you should take with you in an emergency evacuation, short or long-term, ask yourself this question:

“If all I have is the rucksack on my back, what documentation would I need to reconstruct my life?”