The Lever Action Rifle for Prepping and Survival

1873--outside-spurs-etcThe subject of weapons for survival is hot and heavy in the prepper community. Magazines and blogs offer all kinds of opinions and solutions. If you follow the mainstream “Prepper press” you would be convinced that unless you own the most modern military style battle rife, then you are SOL when SHTF. Not necessarily so.

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Fire Extinguishers For Your Preps

41wWZX5u0nLGo to any prepper website or blog, and you will find all kinds of ways to start a fire. And some of them are pretty darned creative. But you also need to be able to put a fire out in a hurry if you, or someone else, creates one that is a danger.

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Bug Out Buggy Part 2. Vehicle Survival Kit

2005-2007_Jeep_Liberty_--_08-16-2010In Part 1 we discussed various aspects of selecting an emergency evacuation vehicle (Bug Out Buggy). Once you have selected a vehicle that will evacuate you and your family if you decide to bug out,, there are some additional considerations you need to address.

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Surviving A Haboob (Sand Storm)

Haboob2Unless you have experienced a serious dust storm such as those which occur in desert areas around the world, you have no idea how awesome, and actually dangerous they can be. ‘Haboob” is the Arabic word for these storms, and has been adopted by those living in the Southwest to describe them also. Getting caught in one can be no fun, but there are certain things you need to do to protect yourself if you are.

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Oldie Military Firearms For Prepper Survival

m1doesmytalking_smIf you read the modern prepper press and peruse the current prepper websites, you would be convinced that unless you have a modern tricked out M-4 or a upgraded AK with all the bells and whistles, then you are simply out of luck when it comes to surviving a SHTF situation with WROL or even TEOTWAWKI. Guess what? They are lying to you.

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Snake Filet!

Crotalus_cerastes_mesquite_springs_CAOK, your a hard core prepper that had to bug out when SHTF, and you have been surviving on your MRE’s, Mountain House and other prep foods. But it is starting to look like this situation is going to drag on for a long time and you need to supplement your food intake with what’s available in the wild. In some parts of the country, notably the Southwest, you have an abundant supply of handy nutrition. It’s called Jake the Snake.

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Personal Security In And Out Of the Home Part 2. The Safe Room

Crime_sceneHome invasion is an increasingly dangerous crime. It typically differs from plain burglary in that the perpetrators have a violent intent, and it usually involves more that one perpetrator. Having a safe room to go to could be an important part of your home safety plan.

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GORP. Nutritious, Tasty, and Cheap!

GorpTired of munching MRE’s while camping or on the trail? Is Mountain House starting to taste like wet cardboard? Tired of spending loads of money on overpriced store bought trail mix? Then GORP it!

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Shotgun, Rifle, or Handgun? Defending Your Home

welcome to my homeI am often asked by students which I would recommend as the ideal home protection weapon. A handgun, rifle, or a shotgun. This is not a question that has a cut and dried answer. Each weapon has it’s own supporters and each weapon has both pros and cons compared to the others. So what do you need to know to make the right choice for your home defense?

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Rifle Scopes for Preppers Part 3. Zeroing a Scope

Again, rifle scopes can be a great help in a survival situation. But no firearm is useful if you cannot hit what you are aiming at. And to hit what you are aiming at, the rifle must be zeroed. Zeroing a rifle scope is not difficult yet so many people have difficulty doing it.

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Big Blades For Survival

woodsman pal militry_Having a good solid knife is one of the basic survival tools you must have. If I had to choose only one item of equipment to survive with, a quality knife would be it. If you have a good quality knife, you can either do, or make the things to do, any survival task you could need. But there are some jobs that are best done by a bigger blade.

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Rifle Scopes for Preppers Part 2 Reticles

Reticles_vectorUsing a scope on a rifle has many advantages under certain circumstances. It allows you to project power beyond what you could normally do with iron sights. The type of reticle you use will have a great influence on the effectiveness of your scoped rifle.

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Earthquake Survival Tips

HotelSanSalvadorThere are no guarantees in life. And especially in survival issues. All you can do is the best you can do. But when it comes to surviving earthquakes, what you do immediately might just keep you alive.

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Rifle Scopes for Preppers Part 1Basics

reticle-46-largeIf you are an experienced hunter or long range shooter, the intricacies of rifle scopes are no mystery. But I run into many preppers and shooters who either want to put a telescopic sight on a rifle, or already have one and have difficulty in both zeroing and using it. How telescopic sights work is not rocket science but there are some fundamentals you need to understand to select the right scope, and to effectively use it.

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The Tactical Pen

Gerber 31-001880_Not quite mightier than the sword. But useful none the less. There are many places that you cannot take a firearm or a knife. But there are very few places you cannot take a quality pen. Even one that doubles as a defensive weapon.

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The Traveling Prepper

Us-passportI travel frequently, both around the United States and Internationally. There are many things the prudent prepper should consider when traveling, whether by auto, train, boat, or the silver stagecoach in the sky. Experience is the best teacher, but it helps to be prepared before you get those hard lesson small or great.

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“Life is tough, but it’s tougher if you’re stupid.”

John_Wayne_-_still_portraitLike many of my generation, I grew up on movies by Marion Robert Morrison (John Wayne, The Duke). Besides being an excellent actor, he was the real deal. You just got to admire anyone whose yacht is a converted WW2 PT boat and has enough macho to bed Marlene Dietrich. He was famous for his pithy and sometimes controversial comments. The one above is one of my favorites. I’m sure many of them were script written for his movies, but only The Duke could say it with the effect it deserves. So what does this have to do with emergency prepping?

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Weapon Cleaning Kits For The Bug Out Bag

Otis Cleaning Kit

Everyone who is preparing for emergency survival should have a bug out bag with three days essentials for rapid grab and go. And if you plan on being armed, the basic essentials of weapon cleaning need to be packed along in it. Weight is always a consideration for anything you pack in BOB, and your weapon cleaning kit needs to be lightweight as well as functional.

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Bartering During SHTF

Flohmarkt2Long before money became common, our ancestors acquired the things they needed by trading goods and services for things other people needed. And it is still economics in many parts of the world. So, how useful would bartering be to you in a SHTF situation?

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Martial Arts For Preppers. Is One Right For You?

ArmyMilCombativesChokeholdPrepping for survival in any SHTF situation will have many components. Health, physical fitness, and the ability to defend yourself will be among them. Training in the right martial art could combine these three subjects. Many preppers are already involved in a martial art. But if you are not and are interested in finding one right for you, then there are certain steps you need to take. Not all martial arts are “martial”. So how do you find the right one for your needs?

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