At the rate we are going, life as we know it will end real soon. Prep and Prepare now, before it is to late.
This Blog is Dedicated to all the Preppers. If you have ideas or suggestions, Please feel free to add your comments. We are all learning. And we all should be learning from one another.
Friday, December 28, 2012
US Debt Clock
This is like the Energizer Bunny, IT JUST GOING AND GOING AND GOING !!!!!!!!
At the rate we are going, life as we know it will end real soon. Prep and Prepare now, before it is to late.
At the rate we are going, life as we know it will end real soon. Prep and Prepare now, before it is to late.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Survival Myths
While researching survival myths, I came upon this web site. After reading alot of articles, this made the most sence to me. The web site link is
http://www.m4040.com/Survival/Survival_Myths.htm There is a lot of great information on this website.
FIRE MYTHS
Survival Matches - I see "waterproof survival matches" listed in more kits than I care to count, and I gotta say... terrible idea. While it may add a sense of drama to a movie when "Rambo" is down to his last couple matches, you don't need that kind of drama if you're in a life or death situation!
Survival Matches - I see "waterproof survival matches" listed in more kits than I care to count, and I gotta say... terrible idea. While it may add a sense of drama to a movie when "Rambo" is down to his last couple matches, you don't need that kind of drama if you're in a life or death situation!
The space and weight taken up in a kit or in your pocket by a dozen "survival" matches would be better filled with a small Bic lighter. A lighter will start a LOT more fires than those few matches. If you're worried about the lighter failing, then bring a magnesium fire starter. These are 100% waterproof, will light thousands of fires, and the magnesium burns a lot hotter than matches.
Flashlight Method - This is a method I've seen by which you can break the bulb of your flashlight, and then use the coil inside to light a fire. Simply put... give it a shot in your backyard and you'll find that it's great at destroying flashlights but terrible at actually starting fires! Recommendation... bring a lighter, and use your flashlight for... LIGHT!
Ice Lens Method - Can you start a fire with a lens that you fashion from ice? Probably not. Scientifically, it's possible, but in all practical sense, the odds are really slim to none. Seriously, give it a try in the comfort of your own backyard on a nice warm day. Feel free to let me know how well this works. Also, while you're wasting hours on this, imagine that you're also freezing to death in a snowy, icy environment. You'll quickly realize that this is a colossal waste of your time and energy, and you won't get a fire going. I guarantee you that. Recommendation... bring a lighter!
Soda & Candy Bar Method - This fire starting method is yet another fun science experiment, but in actual use, it's another colossal waste of time, at the end of which... you'll have no fire. If you're lounging in your backyard someday and suddenly decide that you'd like to piss away the entire afternoon on some fruitless endeavor, go ahead and give this a shot. However... in a real survival situation... eat the friggin' candy bar and be glad for it. Drink the friggin' soda and rejoice. Be glad for those precious calories, and then keep the can as a canteen and cooking vessel. Recommendation... bring a damn lighter!
Flashlight Method - This is a method I've seen by which you can break the bulb of your flashlight, and then use the coil inside to light a fire. Simply put... give it a shot in your backyard and you'll find that it's great at destroying flashlights but terrible at actually starting fires! Recommendation... bring a lighter, and use your flashlight for... LIGHT!
Ice Lens Method - Can you start a fire with a lens that you fashion from ice? Probably not. Scientifically, it's possible, but in all practical sense, the odds are really slim to none. Seriously, give it a try in the comfort of your own backyard on a nice warm day. Feel free to let me know how well this works. Also, while you're wasting hours on this, imagine that you're also freezing to death in a snowy, icy environment. You'll quickly realize that this is a colossal waste of your time and energy, and you won't get a fire going. I guarantee you that. Recommendation... bring a lighter!
Soda & Candy Bar Method - This fire starting method is yet another fun science experiment, but in actual use, it's another colossal waste of time, at the end of which... you'll have no fire. If you're lounging in your backyard someday and suddenly decide that you'd like to piss away the entire afternoon on some fruitless endeavor, go ahead and give this a shot. However... in a real survival situation... eat the friggin' candy bar and be glad for it. Drink the friggin' soda and rejoice. Be glad for those precious calories, and then keep the can as a canteen and cooking vessel. Recommendation... bring a damn lighter!
SHELTER MYTHS
High Ground is Warmer - This is one survival tale that keeps popping up all over the place. We're told that when considering locations for a shelter, we should avoid valleys and low lying areas because cold settles there and it may be several degrees colder than higher ground. This is scientifically sound, but in actual practice... it's pure, unadulterated bullshit. This is because while a thermometer may show a few degrees difference between two elevations, thermometers are incapable of measuring wind chill factors.
In most cases, higher elevations are exposed to a lot more wind while small valleys and lower areas are sheltered from it. A thermometer may show that actual air temperature has increased 2 or 3 degrees by moving to higher ground, but the temperature as far as your body is concerned is likely to have dropped by 20 or 30 degrees. Wind will suck away your body heat faster than you can generate it. Today as I write this, it's almost 50 degrees and sunny outside... a seemingly nice March afternoon. However, today's wind chill factor drops that to somewhere between 20 and 30... and suddenly it's not so great!
Now consider what happens once you get a fire going. Most fires will quickly heat the surrounding area, but when you have some wind factored in, most of that heat is carried off. Also remember that a fire in the wind is going to consume about twice as much wood. You'll spend most of your time and energy finding firewood, and then get very little heat as a reward! Not a very good tradeoff. As such, one of your primary concerns is to find a place that's very sheltered from the wind and elements, and then build yourself a nice, warm fire to keep you warm!
Shelters Should Be Built From Dead Materials - This one came from our friends in the "green" survival movement. They are far more concerned that a few trees might get killed than they are about your life. All advice from them should be considered highly suspect. Imagine building your shelter as a big pile of dead leaves and wood. Now imagine having a campfire anywhere near that. Do you really want to climb in there and go to sleep? Nuff' said.
High Ground is Warmer - This is one survival tale that keeps popping up all over the place. We're told that when considering locations for a shelter, we should avoid valleys and low lying areas because cold settles there and it may be several degrees colder than higher ground. This is scientifically sound, but in actual practice... it's pure, unadulterated bullshit. This is because while a thermometer may show a few degrees difference between two elevations, thermometers are incapable of measuring wind chill factors.
In most cases, higher elevations are exposed to a lot more wind while small valleys and lower areas are sheltered from it. A thermometer may show that actual air temperature has increased 2 or 3 degrees by moving to higher ground, but the temperature as far as your body is concerned is likely to have dropped by 20 or 30 degrees. Wind will suck away your body heat faster than you can generate it. Today as I write this, it's almost 50 degrees and sunny outside... a seemingly nice March afternoon. However, today's wind chill factor drops that to somewhere between 20 and 30... and suddenly it's not so great!
Now consider what happens once you get a fire going. Most fires will quickly heat the surrounding area, but when you have some wind factored in, most of that heat is carried off. Also remember that a fire in the wind is going to consume about twice as much wood. You'll spend most of your time and energy finding firewood, and then get very little heat as a reward! Not a very good tradeoff. As such, one of your primary concerns is to find a place that's very sheltered from the wind and elements, and then build yourself a nice, warm fire to keep you warm!
Shelters Should Be Built From Dead Materials - This one came from our friends in the "green" survival movement. They are far more concerned that a few trees might get killed than they are about your life. All advice from them should be considered highly suspect. Imagine building your shelter as a big pile of dead leaves and wood. Now imagine having a campfire anywhere near that. Do you really want to climb in there and go to sleep? Nuff' said.
WATER MYTHS
Boil for 10 Minutes - This is one so old, I don't even know where it came from. I've also heard 5 minutes, 15 minutes and even 20 minutes of boiling time. All of these are bullshit. I'll keep this short... if the water reaches boiling point, it's safe to drink, period, end of story.
Divining Rods - This is another old wives tale. Use your common sense and you'll probably find water. Use a forked stick and "mystical psychic powers", and you may find yourself very dead. I've heard people claim that a divining rod is simply tapping into one's subconscious thoughts. I suppose if you're some sort of walking emotional wreck who keeps every shred of logic and common sense buried away in your subconscious... then sure... go ahead and wave your stick. Hold a seance while you're at it. Maybe the spirits will tell you where to find water.
The rest of us (sane folks) will simply think our way through the situation. Common sense says water runs downhill. If you walk downhill, you're pretty likely to find water. Birds and animal trails can also lead you to water... they need it as much as you do.
Boil for 10 Minutes - This is one so old, I don't even know where it came from. I've also heard 5 minutes, 15 minutes and even 20 minutes of boiling time. All of these are bullshit. I'll keep this short... if the water reaches boiling point, it's safe to drink, period, end of story.
Divining Rods - This is another old wives tale. Use your common sense and you'll probably find water. Use a forked stick and "mystical psychic powers", and you may find yourself very dead. I've heard people claim that a divining rod is simply tapping into one's subconscious thoughts. I suppose if you're some sort of walking emotional wreck who keeps every shred of logic and common sense buried away in your subconscious... then sure... go ahead and wave your stick. Hold a seance while you're at it. Maybe the spirits will tell you where to find water.
The rest of us (sane folks) will simply think our way through the situation. Common sense says water runs downhill. If you walk downhill, you're pretty likely to find water. Birds and animal trails can also lead you to water... they need it as much as you do.
FOOD MYTHS
Plants Are a Good Source of Food in the Wilderness - Unless you're a certified expert not just in plants, but in the plants of the given region you happen to be in, stay the hell away from the plants!
Here's the facts...
- ALL fur bearing mammals are safe to eat, and will provide you with nutrients and calories.
- ALL 6 legged insects are safe to eat, and will provide you with nutrients and calories.
- Almost all freshwater fish and almost all birds are safe to eat, and will provide you with nutrients and calories.
...and finally
- MOST plants will harm you, make you sick, or worse... poison you. There are actually very few that will provide you with any nutrients or calories.
It's a simple equation... if it walks, crawls, swims, or flies, the odds are in your favor that it's not only safe to eat, but that it will provide you with the nutrition and energy your body needs. If it sits there like... umm... like a plant, the odds are against you both for your own physical safety, and for nutritional content. It's just not worth the gamble unless you're absolutely sure!
Plants Are a Good Source of Food in the Wilderness - Unless you're a certified expert not just in plants, but in the plants of the given region you happen to be in, stay the hell away from the plants!
Here's the facts...
- ALL fur bearing mammals are safe to eat, and will provide you with nutrients and calories.
- ALL 6 legged insects are safe to eat, and will provide you with nutrients and calories.
- Almost all freshwater fish and almost all birds are safe to eat, and will provide you with nutrients and calories.
...and finally
- MOST plants will harm you, make you sick, or worse... poison you. There are actually very few that will provide you with any nutrients or calories.
It's a simple equation... if it walks, crawls, swims, or flies, the odds are in your favor that it's not only safe to eat, but that it will provide you with the nutrition and energy your body needs. If it sits there like... umm... like a plant, the odds are against you both for your own physical safety, and for nutritional content. It's just not worth the gamble unless you're absolutely sure!
~Dakota Fire Pit~
If you are camping or stuck in the middle of the wilderness, a great way to stay warm with less wood is to make a Dakota fire pit. This is also a great way to have a fire and not give away your position, if you are in a hostile survival situation.
Steps
- Start by digging 2 holes about 9 inches in diameter about 9 inches away from each other. After you are about 12 inches down, connect the holes to create a tunnel with the top of the holes being the entrances.
- At this point, you should have a tunnel in the shape of a "U". At the bottom of one of the original tunnels, light a fire like you would a regular campfire.
Tips
- Even though you expend a lot of time and energy making this, it is definitely worth it. Its design combats heat loss into the air, giving you more warmth with less wood used. This way, you can focus on more important tasks than collecting and chopping firewood.
- Additionally, since the fire is in a pit, it throws less light. This makes it harder to see your fire from far away,which is invaluable in a hostile situation.
Warnings
- Always be careful, safe, and responsible with fire. And make sure to obey any fire bans or restrictions in your area.
Things You'll Need
- Wood
- Shovel / Some type of digging tool
- Tinder
- Ignition source (lighter, fire stick, matches, etc)
Sunday, November 18, 2012
New Russian Rifle
Just picked this up. Man does it kick. But it will also reach out and touch someone from a long way away.
Here are the stats:
Mosin-Nagant Infantry Rifle Model 1891, Russia. Caliber 7.62x54mmR.
| M1891 and M91/10 infantry rifle | M1891 and M91/10 Dragoon rifle | M1891/30 | M1891/38 | M1891/44 | |
| Caliber | 7.62x54mm R | ||||
| Action | manual operated, rotating bolt | ||||
| Overall length | 1306 mm 1738 mm with bayonet | 1234 mm 1666 mm with bayonet | 1234 mm 1666 mm with bayonet | 1020 mm | 1020 mm |
| Barrel length | 800 mm | 730 mm | 730 mm | 510 mm | 510 mm |
| Weight | 4.22 kg 4.6 kg with bayonet | 3.9 kg 4.28 kg with bayonet | 3.8 kg 4.18 kg with bayonet | 3.45 kg | ~3.9 kg with non-detachable bayonet |
| Magazine capacity | 5 rounds in integral magazine | ||||
The Mosin-Nagant rifle, known in the Russia as a "Vintovka Mosina" (Mosin Rifle), was developed under the government commission in the late 1880s and early 1890s, and was officially adopted for service by the Russian Tsar in 1891 as a "Trechlineynaja vintovka obraztsa 1891 goda" (three-line rifle, system 1891; three line means caliber of three lines; one line is an 0.1 inch, so it's an .30 inch, or 7.62mm). Along with the rifle, a new, small-caliber cartridge was adopted. This cartridge had a rimmed, bottlenecked case and a jacketed, blunt nose bullet. The rimmed case design, which at that time already started to became obsolescent, was inspired by the low level of the Russian arms industry, and also as intention to keep the price of the rifle as low as possible, since the rimmed case, which headspaces on rim, allows for much looser chamber dimensions, unlike the rimless ones, which required headspacing on the case shoulders, so chambers must be machined much more precisely (that means - on better machinery and for much money). This decision, while probably worked as a savings measure, caused a major PITA for Russian small arms designer, since for different purposes this obsolete, rimmed cartridge is kept in general service with Russian army for more than 110 years!
The history of the development of M1891 rifle is somewhat shady and controversial. During the official trials, two designs were selected for final - one by Russian army captain Mosin, and another, by the Belgian designer Nagant. Final design, adopted by the Commission, utilized features from both, and Leon Nagant was paid for his part for some very serious amount of money. Mosin received a rank promotion and worked on the Sestroretsk arsenal, trying to set this rifle for production. The exact amount of influence of each designer is still unclear for me, so at this moment I'll leave this for further research.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
New Home Defense Weapon
Yet another toy for the house. Man I hope no one wants to break in....no wait check that....I hope they do ! :)
Here are the specs:
Mossberg Tactical .22 semi-automatic rifle
.22 Long Rifle caliber
18" barrel
10 round capacity
Adjustable black synthetic stock
Quad rail forend
Integrated A2-style carry handle/rear sight/top rail
Front post and adjustable rear sights
33.25" to 37" overall length
10.75" to 14.5" length of pull
Weighs 5 pounds
Friday, November 2, 2012
Glock 40 CAL
Just got a new toy for the house. I really love the way this glock looks and feels. Guns don't kill people, people kill people (and this weapon will make this happen quickly.)
Here are the stats:
- Caliber: .40S&W (although Glock likes to leave off the "S&W" part)
- Overall Length: 7.32 inches
- Overall Height: 5.43 inches
- Overall Width: 1.18 inches
- Weight = 34 ounces (loaded)
- Barrel length = 4.5 inches
Monday, April 2, 2012
The Wife's new Toy
My wife is really starting to enjoy prepping. When I first started discussing prepping, she was a bit apprehensive. Now she is really starting to get into the swing of things. We bought her first hand gun the other day. It is a Ruger .380 LCP. It is the perfect size for her, and has incredible stopping power. Here are the stats below:
| Caliber: | .380 Auto |
| Capacity: | 6+1 |
| Length: | 5.16" |
| Width: | 0.82" |
| Height: | 3.60" |
| Barrel Material: | Alloy Steel |
| Barrel Finish | Blued |
| Slide Material | Alloy Steel |
| Slide Finish | Blued |
| Grip Frame | Black, High Performance, Glass-Filled Nylon |
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